Eight Austrians play in the Champions League. Hoffenheim celebrated a 5-0 win against Köge at the start.
20 years after the start of the Women's European Cup, the follow-up competition, the UEFA Women's Champions League, is about to take another big step. UEFA is distributing 24 million euros, four times more than in previous seasons.
Austria's champions St. Pölten were eliminated in qualifying against Juventus and therefore not among the last 16 clubs in the new group stage. But at least eight team players are there.
Nicole Billa, Laura Wienroither, Katharina Elisa Naschenweng and Celina Degen celebrated a 5-0 victory with Hoffenheim on Tuesday against the Danish champions HB Køge. Naschenweng (18th) initiated the success with a wonderful left-footed shot from the edge of the penalty area into the Kreuzeck, while Billa (47th) completed an exemplary counterattack.
The Tyrolean could have scored significantly more goals, but missed the necessary efficiency a few times in the end. Naschenweng also initiated the fourth goal with a corner. The duo was exchanged in the 82nd minute, Laura Wienroither was on the field until the 74th minute. Celina Degen, the fourth ÖFB team kicker in Hoffenheim's dress, got playing time from the 73rd minute.
The top game
In the second Group C game, defending champions FC Barcelona and Arsenal, the club of Manuela Zinsberger and Viktoria Schnaderbeck, met each other. Carina Wenninger and Sarah Zadrazil also had their first appearance with Bayern Munich in the Pool D away duel with Benfica Lisbon. A group stage will be played for the first time this season, with UEFA paying around 24 million euros in the competition four times more than before.
