Arsenal host Real Madrid, Aston Villa play holders Paris Saint-Germain, while Manchester United will mark their Champions League return against Bayern Munich as the league phase draw was revealed.
Premier League champions Arsenal, runners-up to PSG last season, will also visit Bayern Munich, host Borussia Dortmund and travel to Napoli in their campaign. The Gunners also play Real Betis, Lille, Azerbaijani debutants Sabah and Slavia Prague.
Michael Carrick’s United, in their first Champions League campaign in three years, have Bayern Munich at home and Atletico Madrid away among their eight league phase fixtures. There are also ties against Roma, Sporting, RB Leipzig, Villarreal, Sabah and Como.
Liverpool will once again go to Inter Milan and host Atletico Madrid, two repeat fixtures from last season, as well as games against Porto, Villarreal and a tough trip to Turkey to play Fenerbahce. Andoni Iraola’s men also play Club Brugge, Lens and Austrian champions LASK.
Manchester City will play both holders PSG and Barcelona in a tough first campaign for Enzo Maresca and also face a reunion with Kevin De Bruyne as they drew Napoli at home. Sporting, Porto, Leipzig, AEK Athens and Lens complete their fixture schedule.
Europa League winners Aston Villa will go to Barcelona and the Camp Nou, as well as hosting holders PSG in a rematch of their epic quarter-final clash from two years ago. Borussia Dortmund, Club Brugge, both Fenerbahce and Galatasaray, as well as Norway’s Viking and Slavia Prague await Unai Emery’s men.
The full fixture schedule for the Champions League league phase will be confirmed in the coming days. Follow all the latest updates, reaction and analysis from the draw below
Arsenal’s Champions League draw: Gunners to welcome Vinicius Jr and Mourinho
Arsenal have recent memories of facing Real Madrid and Bayern Munich in the Champions League knockout stages. They hosted Bayern in last season’s knockout phase but go to the Allianz and face Harry Kane’s side this season, while the pursuit of Vinicius Jr and the return of Jose Mourinho adds an element of intrigue ahead of welcoming Real Madrid .
Beyond the big two, this is a favourable draw for Mikel Arteta’s side, though, although Napoli away is always a tough one on paper. Even so, Arsenal won all eight of their Champions League league phase games last season. If they match that this time, it would be a serious statement from last year’s runners-up.
• Borussia Dortmund (H)
Jamie Braidwood27 August 2026 18:20
That’s the draw
Now we know the fixtures but we must wait until Saturday to find out the order, the dates and kick-off times!
Alan Smith27 August 2026 18:14
And finally Slovan Bratislava will face…
Inter (h), PSG (a), Real Betis (h), Roma (A), Shakhtar (h), Lille (a), Stuttgart (h), LASK (a)
Alan Smith27 August 2026 18:14
AEK will face…
Real (h), Man City (a), Roma (h), Dortmund (a), Galatasaray (h), Shakhtar (a), LASK (h), Como (a)
Alan Smith27 August 2026 18:13
Viking will face…
Bayern (h), Atletico (a), PSV (h), Aston Villa (A), Feyenoord (h), Napoli (a), Sabah (h), Stuttgart (a)
Alan Smith27 August 2026 18:12
LASK will face…
Liverpool (h), Real (a), Porto (h), Sporting (a), Fenerbahce (h), Bodo/Glimt (a), S Bratislava (h), AEK (a)
Alan Smith27 August 2026 18:12
Como will face…
Paris (h), Barcelona (a), Man Utd (h), Real Betis (a), Leipzig (h), Feyenoord (a), AEK (h), Lens (a)
Alan Smith27 August 2026 18:10
Stuttgart will face…
Atletico (h), Inter (a), Club Brugge (h), PSV (a), Lille (h), Galatasaray (a), Viking (h), S Bratislava (a)
Alan Smith27 August 2026 18:09
