The 2026/27 UEFA Women’s Champions League league phase opened with a night of tight margins, late drama and two notable away results across Europe.
Arsenal needed a stoppage-time penalty from Mariona Caldentey to beat HB Køge Women 1-0, while Manchester City recovered from two goals down to draw 2-2 away at Bayern Munich. Benfica won 2-1 at Juventus, Inter marked their league-phase debut with a 1-0 victory over Häcken, and Real Madrid drew 1-1 with Paris Saint-Germain.
Arsenal leave it late
Arsenal controlled long stretches of their home match but were held until added time, when Caldentey converted the decisive penalty. The result gave the 2024/25 European champions a winning start without the comfortable margin many expected against Danish side HB Køge.
UEFA’s official round-up described the finish as a late escape for Arsenal, while the match also underlined how narrow the opening round can be under the 18-team league-phase format.
Manchester City recover in Munich
Bayern Munich appeared in control after moving 2-0 ahead inside the opening half-hour, but Manchester City responded to earn a 2-2 draw. The comeback gave City a valuable away point and denied Bayern a winning start despite their early advantage.
Elsewhere, Benfica produced one of the night’s strongest away results by beating Juventus 2-1. Inter, one of the competition’s newcomers, defeated Häcken 1-0, while Real Madrid and PSG shared the points.
Barcelona and Chelsea headline Wednesday
The opening matchday continues Wednesday with holders Barcelona hosting Paris FC and Chelsea facing Austria Wien. OL Lyonnes visit Servette, while Roma travel to OH Leuven.
The league phase features 18 clubs playing six different opponents. The top four advance directly to the quarter-finals, while teams finishing fifth through 12th enter the knockout play-offs.
Sources: UEFA official Women’s Champions League Matchday 1 results and round-up, September 22-23, 2026 (primary); UEFA competition guide and fixture list. Image credit: UEFA Women’s Champions League logo / Wikimedia Commons, public-domain text/logo treatment; trademark rights may apply.
