Gareth Taylor‘s side will learn our Round of 16 fate at 11:00 UK (12:00 CET) on 16 February 2021.
City are amongst the top six highest UEFA coefficients and are therefore seeded and placed in a separate pot to the other eight unseeded teams.
The home team in each first leg will be decided by the draw.
Here’s everything you need to know about the competition and the draw, which takes place in Nyon, Switzerland...
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Brief history
The Women’s Champions League is Europe’s elite club competition.
Originally named the UEFA Women’s Cup, it debuted in the 2001/02 season before being rebranded for the 2009/10 campaign when, for the first time, the runners-up from the top eight ranked nations were able to participate.
The format of the final was also changed, becoming a single match played in the same city as the men’s tournament as opposed to a two-legged contest.
Seven-time winners and current holders Lyon are the most successful club in the history of the competition.
Arsenal are the only English side to have won the tournament, defeating Umea 1-0 over two legs in April 2007.
Format
The tournament involves the top club teams from countries affiliated with the European governing body UEFA.
In contrast to the men’s tournament, there is no group stage in the current UWCL format.
Each tie will involve one seeded club and one unseeded club. No club can meet a team from their own association.
Any other restrictions or groupings will be announced when the draw procedure is confirmed ahead of the ceremony.
The two-legged matches will be played on 3/4 and 10/11 March.
The contenders
Seeded
Lyon (FRA, holders) coefficient 145.680
Wolfsburg (GER) 114.090
Barcelona (ESP) 102.140
Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) 98.680
Bayern München (GER) 78.090
Manchester City (ENG) 69.645
Chelsea (ENG) 63.645
Rosengård (SWE) 59.015
Unseeded
Atlético Madrid (ESP) 47.140
Fortuna Hjørring (DEN) 46.385
Brøndby (DEN, 45.385)
LSK Kvinner (NOR) 44.075
BIIK-Kazygurt (KAZ) 38.570
Sparta Praha (CZE) 31.365
Fiorentina (ITA) 29.065
St. Pölten (AUT) 23.950
City’s European history
City made our Champions League debut in the 2016/17 campaign, having finished second in the FA WSL in 2015.
An incredible debut campaign saw Cushing’s side reach the semi-finals, defeating Zvezda Perm (6-0 on aggregate), Brondby (2-1 agg.) and Fortuna Hjorring (2-0 agg.) before falling to the eventual competition winners Lyon (3-2 agg.)
City ended the 2016 domestic season as league and Continental Tyres Cup champions to qualify to the 2017/18 tournament. and repeated the success of the previous year, defeating St Polten (6-0 agg.), Lillestrom (7-1 agg.) and Linkoping (7-3 agg.) before once again being edged out by Lyon in the last four.
The 2018/19 would prove unsuccessful, as City fell at the first hurdle, losing to Atletico Madrid over two legs in the Round of 32, but the domestic cup double winners secured progression to our fourth successive European tournament with a top-two finish in the FA WSL.
The Spanish outfit would edge us out for the second successive season in 2019/20, as Cushing’s side fell to a 3-2 aggregate defeat to the Primera División Champions at the last 16 stage, drawing 1-1 in Manchester before suffering a 2-1 reverse at the Centro Deportivo Wanda, courtesy of a Steph Houghton own-goal and a second half Angela Sosa strike.
Pauline Bremer netted a consolation late on but it would prove too little, too late, as the 2017 and 2018 semi-finalists were eliminated.
2020/21 route
City reached the last 16 with a 5-1 aggregate triumph over Swedish outfit Göteborg FC.
Goals from Georgia Stanway and Sam Mewis edged the away clash, after Vilde Bøe Risa had opened the scoring for the hosts.
Stanway bagged another two in the home encounter, after Lauren Hemp had broken the deadlock with a long-range wonderstrike.
Champions of Europe
City stars Lucy Bronze and Alex Greenwood both lifted the Champions League trophy with Lyon in 2019/20.
For Lucy, it marked a hat-trick of European successes, as she claimed her third successive medal.
Joining City in September, the pair say they hope to help City and the FA Women’s Super League become dominant forces on the continent.
Key dates
Round of 16: 3/4 & 10/11 March
Quarter-final and semi-final draw: 12 March
Quarter-finals: 23/24 March & 31 March/1 April
Semi-finals: 24/25 April & 1/2 May
Final: 16 May (Gamla Ullevi, Gothenburg)
