Arsenal, who reached the European final last season, have been drawn against Real Madrid and Bayern Munich in the upcoming Champions League group phase. The Gunners will also take on Borussia Dortmund and Napoli as they aim to secure one of the eight automatic qualification spots for the knockout rounds, a goal they pursued last season after completing the qualifying stage with an unbeaten record.
In parallel, both Manchester City and Aston Villa will welcome the defending champions Paris Saint‑Germain at their home grounds. Villa's clash with PSG will echo the recent UEFA Super Cup encounter in Salzburg, where the French side triumphed 2‑1. Liverpool’s schedule includes a challenging away trip to Inter Milan and a home fixture against Atlético Madrid, while Manchester United are also slated to face Simeone’s Atlético later in the campaign. Here is a detailed breakdown of the group fixtures for each English club: **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), Atlético 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**: Atlético Madrid (away), Bayern Munich (home), Roma (home), Sporting CP (away), RB Leipzig (home), Villarreal (away), Sabah (home), Como (away).
The first round of matches will be contested between September 8 and 10, with the initial six matchdays stretching to early December. After the winter break, the league phase will resume in January, culminating with the eighth and final round on January 27. The eight teams that finish at the top of the group table will advance directly to the round of 16 in March. Teams placed ninth through twenty‑fourth will enter a knockout play‑off in February to determine the remaining eight spots in the last‑16, while those finishing twenty‑fifth to thirty‑sixth will be eliminated from the competition.
Exact dates, kick‑off times and the full match calendar are expected to be released on Saturday. Four clubs are making their Champions League debut this season. Italian side Como, coached by former England midfielder Cesc Fàbregas, will appear for the first time, as will Austria’s LASK, Norway’s Viking, and the Azerbaijani champions Sabah, a club founded only in 2017.
A historic moment also arrives with an African manager reaching the group stage. Former Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure guided Slovakian champions ŠK Slovan Bratislava through the qualifying play‑off on Wednesday, marking the first time an African coach has led a team into the main draw of the competition.
The matchday schedule is as follows: - Matchday 1: September 8‑10 - Matchday 2: October 13‑14 - Matchday 3: October 20‑21 - Matchday 4: November 3‑4 - Matchday 5: November 24‑25 - Matchday 6: December 8‑9 - Matchday 7: January 19‑20 - Matchday 8: January 27 The knockout phase will commence with play‑offs on February 16/17 and 23/24, followed by the round of 16 on March 9/10 and 16/17. Quarter‑finals are slated for April 6/7 and 13/14, semi‑finals for April 27/28 and May 4/5, and the grand final will be held on June 5, 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; entry is free and further details are available through the official Sky Sports app and website. Overall, this season’s Champions League promises a blend of familiar powerhouses and fresh challengers, with English clubs featuring prominently across the group stage.
The varied fixtures will test squad depth, tactical flexibility, and resilience as teams navigate domestic commitments alongside Europe’s premier club competition.