Lyon to play Fortuna Hjørring in Women’s Champions League

NYON, Switzerland (AP) — Four-time defending champion Lyon has been drawn to play Fortuna Hjørring in the round of 16 of the Women’s Champions League.

Before Lyon became one of the most dominant teams in international club soccer, Fortuna Hjørring was the beaten finalist in the 2003 edition of UEFA’s continental championship.

Now the independent women’s club from Denmark has a daunting task against a star-packed Lyon team led by Norwegian forward Ada Hegerberg.

“It’s a difficult draw,” said Fortuna manager Peter Enevoldsen, who aimed to flip the draw order and play the first leg in Denmark. “It’s good for the people to come and watch the best team in Europe.”

In order pairings made Monday, it was Manchester City vs. Atlético Madrid; Barcelona vs. Minsk; and Wolfsburg vs. Twente.

First-leg games will be played Oct. 16-17, and return games on Oct. 30-31.

The Women’s Champions League is played as a knockout bracket from the round of 32, though a 16-team group-stage format is being proposed for future seasons.