Chelsea will face Real Sociedad in the Women’s Champions League’s third qualifying round, needing a victory over two legs to secure a spot in the main league phase of the competition.

The 2021 runners-up and six-time European semi-finalists are participating in the qualifying stage due to their disappointing third-placed finish in the Women’s Super League last season, marking their lowest league finish since 2019. As they prepare for this crucial matchup, Chelsea is considered the favorite against the Spanish side.

Chelsea could have encountered stronger opponents such as Ajax, Inter, Eintracht Frankfurt, or St Polten, but their seedings prevented them from facing big names like Real Madrid, Wolfsburg, Juventus, or Paris Saint-Germain at this stage. Sonia Bompastor’s squad will aim to join Arsenal and Manchester City in the main phase of the competition.

Missing out on qualification poses significant financial implications:

• Each of the 18 clubs in the league phase receives a minimum of €505,000.
• Additional earnings include €60,000 for each win and €20,000 for each draw.
• Prize money ranges from €10,000 to €180,000 based on final standings.
• The eventual champions could gain €1,050,000 in prize money during the knockout phase, including €500,000 for winning the final.

The first leg will take place at home on 26 August, with the second leg in Spain scheduled for 2 September, just days before Chelsea’s WSL season opener against Aston Villa on 5 September.

Chelsea has been a strong contender for the European title in recent years, having reached the semi-finals in three of the past four campaigns, although they faced a dramatic quarter-final exit against their rivals Arsenal last season.

Real Sociedad, based in San Sebastián, finished third in Spain’s top division last term, trailing behind Real Madrid and Barcelona. The qualifying draw was divided into two sections: a “champions path” for domestic winners and a “league path” for runners-up and third-placed teams, like Chelsea.

In other ties, Køge, who eliminated Hearts, will face PSV Eindhoven, while the standout matchup features Ajax against Real Madrid.