As discussed earlier, Celtic have qualified for the First Round of next season’s UEFA Women’s Champions League (UWCL).
It’s a milestone achievement for the project and a great advert for the work Fran Alonso is doing with the squad.
Celtic go into the league path of the tournament, against the runners-up and third-placed teams of various leagues around the continent including England, France and Spain.
There are two initial rounds before a group stage begins that already has four direct entrants.
There are many potential opponents for Celtic.
Format and potential opponents for Celtic
The full list of entrants in the Ghirls’ route, in order of club co-efficient, is:
Brondby, Zurich, Arsenal, FC Minsk, Bordeaux, Hoffenheim, Levante, PSV, Kristianstad, Slovacko, Valur, Okzheptes, Milan, Rosenborg, Celtic and Lokomotiv Moscow.
These clubs, including Celtic, will be drawn into four knockout mini-tournaments of four teams each – played in a one-venue environment – effectively a one-off semi-final and final.
The final winners will go into the second round. That consists of home and away legs against big-hitting opponents such as Lyon, Manchester City and Wolfsburg.
The winners of this round then go into the big, more recognisable group stage that takes place this Autumn, before a knockout stage in 2022.
Celtic draw and match dates in UWCL
The draw for Celtic’s first round mini-tournament will take place on 2nd July.
Fran Alonso’s team play the first match on 18th August with a potential final three days later on August 21st.
The second round commences across two legs from 31st August.
The main group stage of the competition is played across six games from October to December.
In other news, Postecoglou tipped to turn around form of struggling Celtic star Tom Rogic.
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