Cardiff City, Cliftonville and Athlone Town help kick-off UEFA Women’s Champions League

Athlone Town, who host Cardiff City in a UEFA Women's Champions League 1st qualifying round group semi-final
Athlone Town, who host Cardiff City in a UWCL qualifying group semi-final. (Gerry Shanahan/SPP)

Cardiff City, Cliftonville and debutants Athlone Town all play in the 1st qualifying round of a revamped UEFA Women’s Champions League competition starting Wednesday 30 July.

The old 16-team group stage is replaced by an 18-club league phase, with single-venue knockout mini-tournaments that will produce nine final winners to progress to the second qualifying round on 27 & 30 August.

First qualifying round semi-finals will be played on Wednesday, with the third-place matches on Saturday 2 August and the finals later that day.

Irish champions Athlone Town host Genero Adran Premier winners Cardiff City at 7.30pm on Wednesday, the winner to face Croatian side ŽNK Agram in the final at Athlone Town Stadium on 2 August at 4pm.

Northern Ireland’s Cliftonville are up against group hosts Mitrovica from Kosovo, with Georgia’s Lanchkhuti awaiting the victors.

1QR group semi-finals

Group 1 (Hosts: Luxembourg) – Flora v Riga FC, Racing Union Luxembourg v AEK Athens

Group 2 (Hosts: Myjava) – Anenii Noi v Swieqi United, Spartak Myjava v Budućnost

Group 3 (Hosts: Ljuboten) – NSA Sofia v Pyunik, Ljuboten v NSÍ Runavík

Group 4 (Played in Tirana) – ABB Fomget v Neftçi

Group 5 (Hosts: Athlone Town) – Cardiff City v Athlone Town

Group 6 (Hosts: Mitrovica) – Mitrovica v Cliftonville

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