Arsenal, who reached the European Cup final last season, have been drawn against Real Madrid and Bayern Munich in the upcoming Champions League group phase. The Gunners will also contend with Borussia Dortmund and Napoli as they chase a top‑eight finish that guarantees automatic qualification for the knockout round.
Their campaign follows a flawless qualifying run last year, where they topped their group without dropping points. In parallel, both Manchester City and Aston Villa will welcome the defending champions Paris Saint‑Germain at their home grounds.
Villa's encounter with PSG mirrors the recent UEFA Super Cup showdown in Salzburg, a match that saw the French side emerge victorious with a 2‑1 scoreline. Liverpool’s schedule features a challenging away trip to Inter Milan as well as a home clash with Atletico Madrid.
Meanwhile, Manchester United have also been paired with Simeone’s Atletico in the group stage. The full list 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 inaugural round of matches is slated for 8‑10 September, with the first six matchdays running through to early December. After the winter break, the group stage resumes in January, culminating with the eighth and final round on 27 January.
The eight teams that finish at the top of the table will advance directly to the round of 16 in March. Teams placed ninth through twenty‑fourth will enter a knockout play‑off round in February, competing for the remaining eight spots in the round of 16. Those finishing twenty‑fifth to thirty‑sixth will see their European campaign end at this stage. Exact dates, kick‑off times and the complete schedule will be released on Saturday.
Four clubs are making their Champions League debut this season. Italian side Como, coached by former Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fábregas, Austrian outfit LASK, Norwegian team Viking, and Azerbaijani champions Sabah – a club founded only in 2017 – will all experience the competition’s main draw for the first time. A historic milestone also arrives with an African manager leading a team in the group stage. Former Manchester City midfielder Yaya Touré, now at the helm of Slovak champions Slovan Bratislava, guided his side through the qualifying play‑offs earlier this week.
The match calendar is 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 Knockout‑phase play‑offs: 16/17 and 23/24 February Round of 16: 9/10 and 16/17 March Quarter‑finals: 6/7 and 13/14 April Semi‑finals: 27/28 April and 4/5 May Final: 5 June 2027 at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid Fans can also take part in the Super 6 competition for a chance to win a £1 million prize, with entry available free of charge through the Sky Sports app. This season promises a blend of familiar powerhouses and fresh challengers, ensuring a thrilling Champions League campaign for clubs and supporters alike.