Women’s Champions League starts today

The qualifying round begins today with the likes of Ajax, Glasgow City, Anderlecht, Slavia Praha, Basel and Sporting CP in action.

Qualifying round hopefuls have reached the quarter-finals in two of the last three seasons

Malta is represented in the competition by local champions Birkirkara who are in Group 6 together with Olimpia Cluj (Romania), WFC Khakhiv (Ukraine, hosts) and Cardiff Met (Wales).

The ten group winners and the two runners-up with the best record against the sides first and third in their section proceed to the 17 August draw for the round of 32 to join the 20 teams given byes.

The UEFA Women’s Champions League sees 40 clubs competing for 12 remaining places in the 32-team knockout phase.

The groups

Ajax (NED), Thór/KA (ISL), Wexford Youths (IRL), Linfield (NIR, hosts) FC Minsk (BLR), Somatio Barcelona FA (CYP), Olimpija Ljubljana (SVN, hosts), Slovan Bratislava (SVK) Glasgow City (SCO, hosts), Górnik Łęczna (POL), Anderlecht (BEL), Martve (GEO)

Slavia Praha (CZE), MTK Hungária (HUN, hosts), Ataşehir Belediyespor (TUR), Mitrovica (KOS)

ŽFK Spartak (SRB), Basel (SUI), Pandor Qiryat Gat (ISR), Breznica Pljevlja (MNE, hosts)

Olimpia Cluj (ROU), WFC Khakhiv (UKR, hosts), Cardiff Met (WAL), Birkirkara (MLT) BIIK-Kazygurt (KAZ), Landhaus Austria Wien (AUT), Akadimia Elpides Karditsas (GRE), Rigas Futbola skola (LVA, hosts)

SFK 2000 Sarajevo (BIH, hosts), Pärnu (EST), Vllaznia (ALB), Agarista - SS Anenii Noi (MDA)

Gintra Universitetas (LTU, hosts), NSA Sofia (BUL), Honka (FIN), EBS/Skála (FRO)

Avaldsnes (NOR), Osijek (CRO, hosts), Sporting CP (POR), ŽFK Dragon 2014 (MKD)

Former quarter-finalists Glasgow City and Slavia Praha will be seeded in the round of 32 if they get through.

Basel, Górnik Łęczna, Somatio Barcelona FA, Anderlecht, Akadimia Elpides Karditsas, EBS/Skála, Mitrovica and Agarista - SS Anenii Noi are all making their debuts.

KÍ Klaksvík, the only club to enter the first 17 seasons of UEFA women’s competition, are absent after losing the 2017 Faroese title to EBS/Skála.

The final of the competition is schelduled to be played at the Ferencvaros Stadium in Budapest, Hungary, on 18 May 2019.