Barcelona (W) VS Paris FC (W)

Barcelona Women begin their UEFA Women’s Champions League title defence on Wednesday when they welcome Paris FC to the Estadi Johan Cruyff. The reigning European champions are targeting a fifth continental crown after winning three of the last four editions, including a commanding 4-0 victory over OL Lyonnes in last season’s final. That triumph also marked the final European appearance for club icons Alexia Putellas and Mapi Leon, while Ona Batlle and Salma Paralluelo have also moved on. Despite those departures, Pere Romeu’s side have made an excellent start to the new domestic campaign, winning all four Liga F matches with an impressive 19-2 aggregate score. Their 6-0 victory over Deportivo Alaves last weekend kept them two points clear at the top of the table. Barcelona will enter the European opener with considerable confidence, particularly given their outstanding record at home in this competition. They have won their last 10 UWCL matches at the Estadi Johan Cruyff, scoring at least three goals in every one of those victories. Paris FC, meanwhile, are preparing for their third main-draw appearance in four seasons after finishing second in France last term. They reached the domestic playoff final after overcoming Paris Saint-Germain but suffered a heavy 5-0 defeat against OL Lyonnes. Their new campaign also began with a difficult 7-1 loss to the French champions, although they responded positively by beating Strasbourg 2-0 away from home. With Arsenal also among their opening European opponents, Paris FC face a demanding start to the league phase, making a positive result in Barcelona particularly valuable.