Arsenal, who reached the European Cup final last season, have been drawn against Real Madrid and Bayern Munich in this year’s Champions League group stage. The Gunners will also encounter Borussia Dortmund and Napoli as they aim to secure one of the eight automatic qualification spots for the knockout phase, a goal made more realistic after they topped their qualifying group with a flawless record in the previous campaign. In parallel, both Manchester City and Aston Villa will welcome the defending champions Paris Saint‑Germain at their home grounds.
Villa Park’s encounter with PSG mirrors the recent UEFA Super Cup showdown in Salzburg, where the French side emerged victorious with a 2‑1 scoreline. Liverpool’s itinerary includes a challenging away trip to Inter Milan and a home clash with Atletico Madrid, while Manchester United will also face Simeone’s Atletico during the group phase.
The full set of group fixtures is as follows: - Arsenal: Real Madrid (home), Bayern Munich (away), Borussia Dortmund (home), Real Betis (away), Lille (home), Napoli (away), Sabah (home), Slavia Prague (away) - Aston Villa: Barcelona (away), PSG (home), Borussia Dortmund (home), Club Brugge (away), Fenerbahçe (home), Galatasaray (away), Viking (home), Slavia Prague (away) - Liverpool: Inter Milan (away), Atletico Madrid (home), FC Porto (home), Club Brugge (away), Villarreal (home), Fenerbahçe (away), Lens (home), LASK (away) - Manchester City: PSG (home), Barcelona (away), Sporting CP (home), Porto (away), Napoli (home), RB Leipzig (away), AEK Athens (home), Lens (away) - Manchester United: Atletico Madrid (away), Bayern Munich (home), Roma (home), Sporting CP (away), RB Leipzig (home), Villarreal (away), Sabah (home), Como (away) The opening round of matches is scheduled for 8‑10 September, with the first six matchdays running through to early December. After the winter break, the group phase resumes in January, concluding with the eighth and final round on 27 January. The eight teams that finish at the top of their groups will advance directly to the round of 16 in March.
Teams placed ninth to twenty‑fourth will enter a knockout play‑off round in February to compete for the remaining eight spots, while clubs finishing twenty‑fifth to thirty‑sixth will be eliminated from the competition. Exact dates, kick‑off times and the full match schedule are expected to be released on Saturday. Four clubs are making their debut in this edition of the Champions League: Como from Italy, coached by former Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fàbregas; LASK of Austria; Viking from Norway; and Sabah, the Azerbaijani champions who were founded only in 2017. A historic first for the tournament is the presence of an African head coach in the main draw: former Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure led Slovak champions Slovan Bratislava through the qualifying play‑off round on Wednesday.
The competition’s calendar is laid out as follows: - Matchday 1: 8‑10 September - Matchday 2: 13‑14 October - Matchday 3: 20‑21 October - Matchday 4: 3‑4 November - Matchday 5: 24‑25 November - Matchday 6: 8‑9 December - Matchday 7: 19‑20 January - Matchday 8: 27 January The knockout phase will begin with play‑offs on 16/17 February and 23/24 February, followed by the round of 16 on 9/10 March and 16/17 March 2027. The quarter‑finals are set for 6/7 April and 13/14 April, the semi‑finals for 27/28 April and 4/5 May, and the final will take place on 5 June 2027 at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid.
Fans can download the Sky Sports app to keep up with live scores, highlights and in‑depth analysis throughout the season. Additionally, a "Super 6" competition offers participants a chance to win a £1 million prize, with free entry available to anyone who registers online. Overall, the group stage promises a blend of familiar powerhouses and fresh challengers, setting the stage for a thrilling campaign that will test the depth and resilience of Europe’s elite clubs.
Whether you are supporting Arsenal’s quest to finally lift the trophy, cheering Manchester City’s bid to retain domestic dominance, or rooting for the newcomers eager to make their mark, the upcoming weeks will deliver drama, high‑quality football and plenty of stories to follow.