Nyon, Switzerland: The 36 teams in the league phase of the UEFA Champions League learned their opponents after a draw in Monaco on Thursday. Premier League champions Arsenal are set to face 15-time champions Real Madrid at home and Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich away, while defending champions Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) are set for high-octane clashes against Barcelona at home and Manchester City away.
La Liga champions Barcelona will also face Manchester City at home and three-time champions Manchester United will face Bayern Munich at home in their campaign opener (a rematch of the 1999 final) and last year's semi-finalists Atletico Madrid away from home. The defending champions PSG will have a stacked run, against Roma at home, 2025-26 Europa League winners Aston Villa away from home and Turkish giants Galatasaray at home.
Arsenal will also face Borussia Dortmund at home, and 15-time champions Real Madrid will start against Inter Milan at home, marking an emotional clash for Jose Mourinho, who led Inter to UCL glory back in 2010. England football giants Liverpool will also start against Atletico at home and follow it with a clash against Inter Milan away.
Four debutants were in the draw: Como (Italy), LASK (Austria), Viking (Norway), and Azerbaijani champion Sabah, all founded in 2017. Como has some exciting matches lined up, against PSG and Manchester United at home, while they will play Barcelona away from home. LASK will get to start their campaign against Liverpool at home and face Real Madrid away from home. Viking also has an interesting opening battle against Bayern Munich at home.
Luis Enrique's PSG, who beat Premier League champions Arsenal on penalties in the Champions League final in May to retain their title, will host Barca and travel to City. Their other league-phase opponents are Roma, Aston Villa, Galatasaray, Villarreal, Slovan Bratislava and Como. The league-phase format, introduced in the 2024-25 season, is entering its third campaign.
Real Madrid host Inter and travel to Arsenal. They will also face PSV Eindhoven, Roma, RB Leipzig, Shakhtar Donetsk, LASK and AEK Athens. The meeting with Inter will see new Real manager Jose Mourinho face one of his former clubs. Mourinho, who returned for a second spell in charge of Real in June, guided Inter to the Champions League title in 2010 before leaving for the Santiago Bernabeu.Six-time European champions Bayern Munich's headline fixtures include a home game against Arsenal and away trips to Atletico Madrid and Manchester United.