Having secured a Champions League berth just a few weeks ago with their 17th consecutive Bulgarian Women’s Football Championship title, Jess Coates’ NSA Sofia side have learned their opponents for the opening round of the most prestigious club competition in women’s football, which kicks off on August 18.
The Marconi Stallions product and Nicholls State great will take on Ukrainian champions Zhytlobud-1 Kharkiv, the highest seeded team in a four-team mini-tournament that also features Slovenian champions Pomurje and Latvian league winners Rïgas FS. Although Zhytlobud-1 Kharkiv are the highest seeds, it looks at this stage as though the group will be played out in either Slovenia or Latvia, aiding NSA Sofia’s draw as they look to spring an upset on neutral turf rather than in Kharkiv.
Coates and her teammates have been handed a fairly favourable assignment in the opening round, avoiding the heavy-hitters that also found themselves in this round. Teams of the calibre of Juventus, Glasgow City, and BIIK Kazygurt, among others, will all be starting from the same point as NSA Sofia, and although the idea of a trip to Turin to play Juventus sounds like a dream experience, receiving a draw that gives the team a reasonable chance of success is far more enticing.
Meanwhile, former Colgate midfielder and recently capped Matilda, Dylan Holmes will await the outcome of the first-round results before learning her first Champions League opponent. As Swedish champions, BK Häcken are one of three teams earning a bye through to Round 2 of the qualifying rounds. The draw for Round 2 will be held on August 22, with the first legs being played on the weekend of August 31 and September 1 before the return fixtures the following weekend. The winners will progress to the 16-team group stage, a new addition to the competition proper, replacing the previous 32-team straight knockout format that has existed in previous seasons.
NSA Sofia UEFA Women’s Champions League Round 1 Schedule
August 18: Zhytlobud-1 Kharkiv (UKR) v NSA Sofia (BUL)
August 18: Pomurje (SVN) v Rïgas FS (LAT)
August 21: Loser Semi-Final 1 v Loser Semi-Final 2 (Third Place Playoff)
August 21: Winner Semi-Final 1 v Winner Semi-Final 2 (Winner advances to Round 2)
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