Manchester United Women will face Dutch club PSV Eindhoven in the second round of qualification for the UEFA Women's Champions League. The second-round fixtures will be played in the format of a mini-tournament, with the semi-finals scheduled for 27 August and the final, along with a third-place play-off, set for 30 August.
United, who secured a third-place finish in the Women's Super League last season, are placed in Group 1. Their opening match will be against PSV, and if successful, they will face the winner of the other semi-final between Sweden's Hammarby and Ukrainian side Metalist Kharkiv in the group final.
If Manchester United progress past the second-round mini-tournament, they will advance to the third round of qualification. This next stage involves a two-legged play-off against a single opponent, with the winner earning a coveted place in the league phase of the competition, which is set to begin later in the autumn.
Other British clubs are also involved in the Champions League qualifiers. Glasgow City, the Scottish champions, are set to play FK Austria Wien from Austria in their semi-final. The winner of that match will then face Bulgarian side FC Minsk in the final of their mini-tournament.
Welsh champions Cardiff City begin their campaign in the first qualifying round. They will face Athlone Town from the Republic of Ireland. The winner of that match will go on to play Croatian champions ZNK Agram in the group final, with a spot in the second round at stake.
From Northern Ireland, Cliftonville Ladies will also take part in the first round. They are matched up against KFF Mitrovica, the champions of Kosovo.
In recent news, Manchester United Women have made significant moves in the transfer market following their historic FA Cup win last season. United lifted their first-ever major trophy by defeating Tottenham Hotspur 4–0 at Wembley in May. The club is now focused on strengthening the squad for the new campaign, both domestically and in Europe. United recently announced the signing of goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce from OL Reign and are reportedly pursuing additional reinforcements, particularly in midfield and defence, as they prepare for both Champions League qualification and the upcoming WSL season.
