Arsenal Face a Familiar Giant
Arsenal’s league-phase path has produced one of the standout ties of the competition: a home meeting with Real Madrid, alongside a difficult trip to Bayern Munich. The Gunners also meet Borussia Dortmund, Lille, Sabah, Napoli, Slavia Prague and Real Betis, giving Mikel Arteta’s side a schedule that mixes elite tests with more manageable assignments.
The Madrid fixture brings immediate intrigue, while the Bayern away match adds another major benchmark for a team still trying to turn domestic momentum into sustained European progress.
- Home: Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Lille, Sabah
- Away: Bayern Munich, Napoli, Slavia Prague, Real Betis
Manchester City Draw a Stacked Route
Manchester City’s slate is equally demanding, with PSG and Barcelona sitting near the top of the list of opponents. City also take on Sporting, Porto, Napoli, RB Leipzig, AEK Athens and Lens, creating a programme packed with high-profile nights and tricky away trips.
The headline pairings are obvious: PSG at home and Barcelona away. Those fixtures give City two immediate measuring sticks against clubs with the quality to expose any lapse in concentration.
- Home: PSG, Sporting, Napoli, AEK Athens
- Away: Barcelona, Porto, RB Leipzig, Lens
Manchester United’s Return Looks Testing
Manchester United’s return to Europe’s top tier brings a tough mix of established powers and awkward opponents. Bayern Munich, Roma, RB Leipzig and Sabah visit Old Trafford, while United must travel to Como, Atlético Madrid, Sporting and Villarreal.
The away trip to Como stands out because Cesc Fàbregas now manages the Italian side, adding a fresh storyline to an already demanding draw. United’s league phase offers little room for slow starts if they want to avoid a scramble later on.
Liverpool and Aston Villa Get Contrasting Challenges
Liverpool appear to have landed one of the more approachable schedules among the English clubs, although there are still enough dangers to keep them alert. Anfield will host Atlético Madrid, Porto, Villarreal and Lens, while the away list includes Inter, Club Brugge, Fenerbahçe and Lask.
Aston Villa, by contrast, must immediately deal with PSG at home and Barcelona away. Unai Emery’s side also face Borussia Dortmund, Fenerbahçe, Viking Stavanger, Club Brugge, Galatasaray and Slavia Prague, which means there is little margin for error despite their strong recent European showing.
PSG, Shakhtar and the Wider Picture
PSG remain the team everyone else will chase after back-to-back titles, and their draw is again full of elite opposition. Barcelona, Manchester City and Aston Villa are among the clubs they will face, while Roma, Galatasaray, Villarreal, Slovan Bratislava and Como complete their league-phase set.
Elsewhere, Shakhtar Donetsk will stage their home matches at Stamford Bridge because they cannot yet host continental fixtures in Ukraine. Their visitors include Real Madrid, which adds another notable twist to a season already packed with storylines.
What Happens Next
The opening round of league-phase matches is scheduled for 8 and 9 September, with UEFA due to release the full fixture order shortly after the draw. Until then, clubs and supporters can only circle the standout dates and prepare for a campaign that already looks loaded with heavyweight encounters.
