Champions League Draw: Liverpool Face Real Madrid, Arsenal Meet Bayern as Chelsea, Manchester City, Tottenham and Newcastle Learn Their Opponents

Today’s UEFA Champions League group-phase draw in Monaco has set the stage for a thrilling campaign, with six Premier League clubs—a record number—preparing to face high-stakes matchups in the new league-format competition .

A Premier Showdown: Six English Clubs Enter the Champions League

For the first time in UEFA history, England will be represented by six teams: Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Newcastle United, and Tottenham Hotspur. This expanded representation reflects both strong domestic performance and superior UEFA coefficient rankings, along with Tottenham’s qualification as Europa League winners .

Fixture Highlights: Tough Groups and High-Profile Reunions

Liverpool will face a narrative-filled reunion, hosting Real Madrid at Anfield—marking Trent Alexander-Arnold’s emotional return to his former club—and competing against Inter Milan and Eintracht Frankfurt .

Manchester City, continuing a compelling rivalry, have again drawn Real Madrid—this marks the fifth consecutive season featuring this matchup. They will also contend with Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen, Napoli, Villarreal, Bodø/Glimt, Galatasaray, and AS Monaco in the league phase .

Arsenal are pitted against heavyweights such as Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, Atlético Madrid, Club Brugge, Olympiacos, Slavia Prague, Kairat Almaty, and Athletic Bilbao—an unenviable and challenging group for the Gunners .

Chelsea will face off against a formidable trio: Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Ajax, Atalanta, Benfica, Napoli, Pafos, and Qarabağ—an all-round testing group for the Blues .

Tottenham Hotspur—back in the continental elite after their Europa League triumph—will be matched with Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund, Villarreal, Eintracht Frankfurt, Slavia Prague, Bodø/Glimt, Copenhagen, and Monaco .

Newcastle United, returning to Champions League action, must navigate a challenging group featuring Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Benfica, Bayer Leverkusen, PSV Eindhoven, Marseille, Athletic Bilbao, and Union Saint-Gilloise .

Format & Key Dates: A Heavy European Schedule Ahead

This season introduces a revamped single-league format involving 36 teams, where each club plays eight matches—four at home and four away—against opponents from each of the four seeding pots .

The group or league phase runs from September 16 to January 28, featuring simultaneous kick-offs on the final matchday .

The final will be held on May 30, 2026, at the Puskás Arena in Budapest .