Holders Lyon draw Juventus in last 32 of women’s Champions League

Record seven-time winners Lyon will begin the defence of their women’s Champions League title against Juventus in the last 32 while last season’s runners-up Wolfsburg were drawn Tuesday against Serbian club ZFK Spartak.

Lyon defeated twice former champions Wolfsburg 3-1 in the final in August to capture the trophy for a fifth successive year.

However, the team that has dominated women’s football in France and in Europe in recent years was brought back down to earth last week as a 1-0 loss away to Paris Saint-Germain ended a run of 73 matches without defeat.

PSG, beaten by Lyon in the semi-finals of the 2019-20 competition, have been paired with Gornik Leczna of Poland and Barcelona were pitted against Dutch outfit PSV Eindhoven.

Two English clubs, Chelsea and Manchester City, also enter the competition next month for the ties played over December 9-10 and 15-16.

Chelsea, who reached the last four of the tournament in 2018 and 2019, will meet Benfica while City play Swedish club Gothenburg.

Chelsea were awarded the 2019/20 Women’s Super League title on a points-per-game basis ahead of City after the season was curtailed due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Glasgow City, quarter-finalists last term, will take on Slavia Prague after winning both of their qualifying rounds on penalties.

This season’s edition will be the last to use to a two-legged knockout format, with the 2021-22 competition adopting a 16-team group stage similar to the men’s format.

Draw for the last 32:

St Polten (AUT) vs Zurich (SUI) 

Lanchkhuti (GEO) vs Rosengard (SWE) 

Gothenburg (SWE) vs Manchester City (ENG) 

Sparta Prague (CZE) vs Glasgow City (SCO) 

Juventus (ITA) vs Lyon (FRA, holders) 

ZFK Spartak (SRB) vs Wolfsburg (GER) 

Fiorentina (ITA) vs Slavia Prague (CZE) 

Benfica (POR) vs Chelsea (ENG)

Pomurje (SLO) vs Fortuna Hjorring (DEN) 

Kharkiv (UKR) vs BIIK-Kazygurt (KAZ) 

Valerenga (NOR) vs Brondby (DEN)

Ajax (NED) vs Bayern Munich (GER)

PSV Eindhoven (NED) vs Barcelona (ESP) 

FC Minsk (BLR) vs LSK Kvinner (NOR) 

Gornik Leczna (POL) vs Paris SG (FRA) 

Servette (SUI) vs Atletico Madrid (ESP)