Benfica will qualify for the group stage of the Women’s Champions League with Cypriot Apollon Ladies FC, in the first leg in Cyprus, according to the draw for the second qualifying phase to be held this Friday in Nyon.
On the way to being champions, the reds will play in Cyprus on October 10 or 11 and, the following week, on the 18th or 19th, they will host Apollon at the Benfica Campus, in Seixal.
The red team reached this stage by winning Group 6 of the first round, against Cliftonville (8-1) and Riga (4-0), while Apollon won Group 3, defeating Ljuboten (9-0) , with hat trick of the Portuguese Joana Dantas, and Samerelo (3-0).
Benfica seeks its third consecutive presence in the group stage and maintains its full status, since this stage was not introduced in the Women’s Champions League until 2021/22.
In 2021/22, the red team eliminated the Dutch Twente in the second round, with a 1-1 away draw and a 4-0 home defeat, and, last season, they beat the Scottish Rangers (3-2 away and 2-1 after extra time at home).
For its part, Apollon also played in the group stage of the Champions League in the last two seasons, losing to Ukrainian side Kharkiv in 2021/22, in the second round, and to Swiss side Zurich in 2022/23, in first.
In the group stage, Benfica finished third in both seasons, in 2021/22 behind Lyon and Bayern Munich and ahead of Häcken, and in 2022/23 behind FC Barcelona and Bayern Munich and in front of Rosengärd.
In 2023/24, the group stage, with 16 teams, begins on November 14 and will run until January 31, 2024, with the two best teams in each group advancing to the quarter-finals.
The final will be played on May 24 or 26, at the San Mamés Stadium, in Bilbao, Spain.
Draw result for the second qualifying round for the group stage of the Women’s Champions League:
Path of champions
Apollon, Chp – Benfica, Por
Zurich, Sui – Ajax, Hol
Rome, Ita – Vorskla, Ukraine
Valur, Island – Sankt Pölten, Aut
Slavia Prague, Che – Cluj, Rom
Glasgow City, Esc – Brann, Nor
Subotica, Being – Rosengärd, Sue
League path
Häcken, Sue – Twente, Hol
Real Madrid, Esp – Välerenga, Nor
Eintracht Frankfurt, Ale – Sparta Prague, Che
Paris FC, Fra – Wolfsburg, Ale
Manchester United, England – Paris Saint-Germain, France
Note: The 12 winners of the second round are joined in the group stage by FC Barcelona (Spain), Lyon (France), Bayern Munich (Germany) and Chelsea (England).
Source: TSF
