OHL chase new chapter as they host Roma in Champions League debut

OH Leuven Women have delivered a "more than successful introduction" in their first Champions League Women campaign, a milestone the club describes as an absolute success edition on and off the pitch.

Last season's European run

Via the qualifiers Leuven reached the round of 16 last season, surprising friend and foe with daring football before meeting Arsenal. The English giants proved too strong, yet the Belgian side left the tie with heads held high after an historic 9,285‑spectator record for a women’s match in Belgium.

Tomorrow's showdown with Roma

Tomorrow OHL will host AS Roma at Den Dreef at 18.45, a fixture that already featured a point for Leuven last season. Jeslynn Kuijpers warned, "Niet vergelijken met vorig seizoen," adding that Roma’s core has changed under a new coach and now plays more attacking football.

Ster Habibzadeh, the Iranian who arrived from Club Brugge YLA this summer, makes her European debut and has taken over from Arno Van den Abbeel. She said, "Dat we hier weer staan, is al een geweldige prestatie op zich. Ons team is klaar, maar ik hoop vooral dat we ook van deze ervaring gaan genieten." Habibzadeh is one of three female coaches in the Champions League Women.

Three players have left for RB Leipzig and Aurélie Reynders moved to Paris FC, meaning four protagonists of last season’s story are gone. Nevertheless, Habibzadeh insists there is no loss of quality, stating the goal is to collect at least six points in the group.

Attendance is expected to drop from the Arsenal record, with about 1,500 tickets already sold and hopes of attracting a few hundred more. Kuijpers shrugged off the numbers, "We zijn niet echt bezig met het aantal toeschouwers. Vorig jaar zagen we het aantal met het succes op het veld toenemen."

The club views tomorrow as a fresh start, eager to enjoy the experience and prove that their historic European debut was only the beginning.