Arsenal and Chelsea handed tough Champions Leagues group stage duels against Lyon and Real Madrid

ARSENAL and Chelsea are set for tricky Champions League group phase clashes against some of Europe’s most formidable sides.

The rivals have been drawn in what some fans have dubbed groups of death with the Blues facing Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain and the Gunners taking on Lyon and Juventus.

Chelsea, who are in Group A, are set for ties against French giants PSG and a Madrid side that includes former Manchester City forward Caroline Weir.

This will be the second time in the space of three months that Madrid have come up against one of England’s top sides following their defeat of Manchester City.

That August clash saw Weir net the winner that sealed City’s exit from the contest at the qualifying stage for a second successive season.

The Blues, who reached the finals in 2021, will also take on PSG who finished the runners-up in France’s top-flight last term.

The last Champions League clash between the sides was back in the quarter-final stage of the contest in March 2019.

And Emma Hayes’s aces emerged the victors of that tie (with a 3-2 aggregate score line) knocking their rivals out to reach the semis phase.

They will also face Albanian side KS Vllaznia, who reached the group stage for the first time in their history this season.

Meanwhile, Arsenal are set for a reunion with former boss Joe Montemurro with the WSL leaders drawn into the same group as Juventus.

It will also see Gunners’ summer signing Lina Hurtig go up against the Italian side she helped to reach the last eight of the contest last term.

And Jonas Eidevall’s stars, who will play their Group C home fixtures at the Emirates, will also face a stern test home and away against Lyon.

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The French giants currently hold the record for the highest number of Champions League trophy wins having won the tournament eight times.

Meanwhile, Barcelona and Bayern Munich have been drawn in Group D alongside Swedish side Rosengard and Portuguese club Benfica.

Duels between the Catalan giants and the runners-up to last year’s Bundesliga title could see Keira Walsh and Lucy Bronze go up against their former Man City team-mate Georgia Stanway.

Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk