Matildas superstar Sam Kerr, Hayley Raso, Aivi Luik and Sarah Hunter are set to meet in the UEFA Champions League group stage, while Ellie Carpenter, Larissa Crummer and Ella Mastrantonio have been drawn in another group.
The draw for the 2023-24 Champions League group phase took place, with eight Australians learning their fate ahead of matchday one beginning on November 14.
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Kerr and Women’s Super League (WSL) champions Chelsea – former runners-up – have been drawn in Group D, alongside Raso’s Real Madrid and Paris FC, where former Sydney FC star Sarah Hunter is now based.
In Group B, Matildas full-back Carpenter and eight-time champions Lyon will face Crummer’s Brann and Mastrantonio of St Polten.
Brann are the first team from Norway to make it to the group stage.
Meanwhile, Clare Hunt and Paris Saint-Germain have been drawn in Group C alongside Bayern Munich, Roma and Ajax.
“To get to the group stage, everybody is a good team. We respect all the opponents we might face,” said Chelsea head coach Emma Hayes.
“We know Real Madrid is a top team, Hacken are a top team performing really well, and Paris FC deservedly progressed into the group stage.
“We’ve been in the Champions League a long time to know that this is a really tough competition and we’ve got a lot to prepare for.”
Group fixtures will run from November 14 through to January 31.
UEFA Women’s Champions League groups
Group A: Barcelona (ESP, holders), Rosengard (SWE), Benfica (POR), Eintracht Frankfurt (GER)
Group B: Lyon (FRA), Slavia Praha (CZE), St. Polten (AUT), Brann (NOR)
Group C: Bayern Munchen (GER), Paris Saint-Germain (FRA), Roma (ITA), Ajax (NED)
Group D: Chelsea (ENG), Real Madrid (ESP), Hacken (SWE), Paris FC (FRA)
The top two teams from each group progress to the quarter-finals
