The 2026-27 Champions League league phase draw has delivered some huge European fixtures, with Arsenal facing Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, Manchester City drawn against Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona, and Manchester United returning with a blockbuster clash against Bayern.
The road to the 2027 Champions League final in Madrid is beginning to take shape.
The league phase draw was held in Monaco on Thursday evening, with all 36 clubs discovering the eight opponents they will face between September and January.
And there was no shortage of heavyweight clashes.
Arsenal will face Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, Manchester City have been handed Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona, while Liverpool will meet Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid.
Manchester United's return to Europe's elite competition begins against Bayern, while Aston Villa have also been given a difficult route with PSG and Barcelona among their opponents.
But the draw was about more than just the Premier League's representatives.
There are some fascinating match-ups across the whole competition, including new faces, difficult away trips and several potential banana skins.
How does the Champions League draw work?
The 2026-27 competition continues with UEFA's 36-team league phase, replacing the old group-stage format.
Every team is drawn against eight different opponents, two from each of the four seeding pots.
Each club will play four matches at home and four away.
Teams cannot face another club from the same country during the league phase.
The four pots for this season were:
Pot 1
- Paris Saint-Germain
- Bayern Munich
- Real Madrid
- Liverpool
- Inter Milan
- Manchester City
- Arsenal
- Barcelona
- Atletico Madrid
Pot 2
- Borussia Dortmund
- Roma
- Sporting CP
- Aston Villa
- Porto
- Manchester United
- Club Brugge
- Real Betis
- PSV Eindhoven
Pot 3
- Feyenoord
- Lille
- Napoli
- RB Leipzig
- Villarreal
- Fenerbahce
- Shakhtar Donetsk
- Galatasaray
- Bodø/Glimt
Pot 4
- Slavia Prague
- Slovan Bratislava
- Stuttgart
- AEK Athens
- LASK
- Como
- Lens
- Viking
- Sabah
The pots were designed to ensure every club received a mixture of opposition, meaning even the biggest sides could be handed difficult fixtures from multiple different levels.
Arsenal handed a heavyweight draw
Arsenal will have two huge European nights at home.
The Gunners will host Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund, while travelling to face Bayern Munich and Napoli.
Their other four opponents are Real Betis, Lille, Sabah and Slavia Prague.
Arsenal
Home
- Real Madrid
- Borussia Dortmund
- Lille
- Sabah
Away
- Bayern Munich
- Real Betis
- Napoli
- Slavia Prague
It is one of the toughest-looking draws in the competition.
Arsenal will face two of Europe's biggest clubs in Real Madrid and Bayern, while Dortmund and Napoli provide further difficult tests.
Manchester City face PSG and Barcelona
Manchester City have also been handed a blockbuster schedule.
They will host reigning champions PSG, while travelling to Barcelona.
Their remaining opponents are Sporting CP, Porto, Napoli, RB Leipzig, AEK Athens and Lens.
Manchester City
Home
- PSG
- Sporting CP
- Napoli
- AEK Athens
Away
- Barcelona
- Porto
- RB Leipzig
- Lens
The PSG match will see City face the reigning European champions, while their trip to Barcelona provides another heavyweight European occasion.
There is also a reunion with former City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, who now plays for Napoli.
Liverpool face Inter again
Liverpool will travel to Inter Milan and host Atletico Madrid.
The Reds will also face Porto, Club Brugge, Villarreal, Fenerbahce, Lens and LASK.
Liverpool
Home
- Atletico Madrid
- Porto
- Villarreal
- Lens
Away
- Inter Milan
- Club Brugge
- Fenerbahce
- LASK
The trip to Istanbul to face Fenerbahce could provide one of the most intimidating atmospheres of the league phase, while Inter and Atlético give Liverpool two major European tests.
Manchester United's Champions League return starts with Bayern
Manchester United are back in the Champions League for the first time in three years and they have been handed a huge first-stage fixture.
They will host Bayern Munich and travel to Atletico Madrid.
United will also play Roma, Sporting CP, RB Leipzig, Villarreal, Sabah and Como.
Manchester United
Home
- Bayern Munich
- Roma
- RB Leipzig
- Sabah
Away
- Atletico Madrid
- Sporting CP
- Villarreal
- Como
A home meeting with Bayern will be one of the headline fixtures of the entire league phase, while the trip to Atletico gives United another major test.
Aston Villa face PSG and Barcelona
Aston Villa have also been handed a particularly difficult draw.
Unai Emery's side will host PSG and travel to Barcelona.
They will also face Borussia Dortmund, Club Brugge, Fenerbahce, Galatasaray, Viking and Slavia Prague.
Aston Villa
Home
- PSG
- Borussia Dortmund
- Galatasaray
- Viking
Away
- Barcelona
- Club Brugge
- Fenerbahce
- Slavia Prague
Villa's meeting with PSG will be particularly interesting after their recent European encounters. The trip to Barcelona will also provide another huge occasion for the Europa League winners.
But what about the rest of Europe?
The English clubs may dominate much of the attention, but there are plenty of fascinating fixtures elsewhere.
Real Madrid will face Inter Milan at home and travel to Arsenal, while also meeting PSV, Roma, RB Leipzig, Shakhtar Donetsk, LASK and AEK Athens.
Bayern Munich have Arsenal away, Atletico Madrid at home, Manchester United away, Real Betis at home, plus fixtures against Bodø/Glimt, Lille, Slavia Prague and Viking.
That means Bayern will make trips to both Arsenal and Manchester United during the league phase.
Meanwhile, PSG will host Barcelona and Roma but travel to Manchester City and Aston Villa.
That gives the holders two difficult Premier League away trips.
Barcelona will also travel to PSG and host Manchester City and Aston Villa, making their schedule one of the most star-studded in the competition.
Some intriguing newcomers
The league phase also contains some clubs who will be experiencing this level of European football for the first time.
Viking have reached the Champions League league phase for the first time in their history after overcoming Dinamo Zagreb in qualifying.
They have been handed an especially memorable schedule, including an away trip to Bayern Munich and a home meeting with Atletico Madrid.
Norwegian side Bodø/Glimt will also be competing at this stage, while Azerbaijan's Sabah FC are among the new names in the competition.
Italian side Como are another club attracting attention after securing their place in the league phase.
For those clubs, the draw represents more than simply eight fixtures.
It is a chance to put themselves on the biggest stage in European club football.
The toughest draws?
There is no official easy or difficult draw, but some schedules immediately stand out.
Arsenal will have to negotiate Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Dortmund.
Manchester City have PSG and Barcelona.
Aston Villa face PSG and Barcelona.
And Bayern Munich will have to travel to both Arsenal and Manchester United.
There are also difficult away trips to consider.
Liverpool heading to Fenerbahce, Villa travelling to Barcelona and United going to Atlético could all provide very different challenges.
Meanwhile, clubs such as Viking, Bodø/Glimt and Sabah will have the opportunity to test themselves against some of the biggest teams in Europe.
What happens next?
The draw has revealed the opponents, but not the exact dates and kick-off times.
UEFA will confirm the complete fixture schedule no later than Saturday 29 August.
The first league-phase matches will then take place from 8-10 September, with the final matchday scheduled for 27 January 2027.
Once all eight matches have been played, the league table will determine who progresses.
The top eight will go directly into the round of 16.
Teams finishing 9th to 24th will enter the knockout play-offs, with the winners joining the top eight in the last 16.
Anyone finishing 25th or lower is eliminated from European competition.
The opponents are known. The fixtures are coming. Now the road to Madrid begins.
