How the new league phase format plays out

The 3rd qualifying circular of the UEFA Women's Champions League gets underway connected Thursday, arsenic 18 teams conflict it retired for the last 9 spots successful the new-look league phase.

So, what is the caller format? How does it disagree from the men's competition? And erstwhile is the gully for the league phase?

Also, what's this caller contention called the UEFA Women's Europa Cup?

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What is the caller Women's Champions League format?

Let's commencement with the basics. Under the aged format, 16 teams competed successful 4 groups of 4 teams, with the apical 2 going done to the quarterfinals -- and past onto the semifinals and the final.

This play sees the Women's Champions League instrumentality connected a akin format to the revamped men's competition (which has 36 teams) -- with each 18 teams successful 1 large league table. That means 2 other teams volition beryllium successful the contention proper.

Nine teams qualified automatically from the apical 7 nations:

Titleholders: Arsenal
France: OL Lyonnes, Paris Saint-Germain
Germany: Bayern Munich, VfL Wolfsburg
Spain: Barcelona
England: Chelsea
Portugal: Benfica
Italy: Juventus

The last 9 places are filled done the qualifying rounds, with teams that suffer dropping into the caller UEFA Women's Europa Cup (more connected that later).

Final qualifying circular playoff ties:

Valerenga vs. Ferencvaros
Vorskla Poltava vs. OH Leuven
St. Pölten vs. Fortuna Hjørring
Katowice vs. Twente
BK Häcken vs. Atlético Madrid
Paris FC vs. Austria Vienna
Brann vs. Manchester United
Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Real Madrid
AS Roma vs. Sporting CP

So, however does it work?

• Teams successful positions 13 to 18 are eliminated astatine the extremity of the league signifier successful December.
• The 8 teams successful positions 5 done 12 play successful the knockout signifier playoffs, successful February, to gain a spot successful the quarterfinals.
• The apical 4 spell consecutive done to the quarterfinals, played successful March and April.

From the knockout signifier playoffs onward, the contention has a two-legged format done to the semifinals, with a accepted one-legged final, but with constricted draws.

How does the league signifier provender into the knockout bracket?

The caller format gives value to league placing with teams paired. The higher you finish, the much favorable your path, including that leap nonstop to the quarterfinals for the apical four.

For the women's tournament, there's conscionable 1 draw, connected Dec. 18, which sets the afloat way of the bracket. There is nary state protection, meaning teams from the aforesaid league tin look each different passim the knockouts.

Here's however it works.

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