Defending English champions Arsenal will face Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Napoli, Real Betis, Lille, Sabah, and Slavia Prague in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League. The Gunners, who finished top of their qualifying group without a loss the previous season, will aim to finish in the top eight to secure a direct spot in the Round of 16 in March.
A challenging draw for English clubs
Arsenal will notably face Real Madrid at home and Bayern Munich away. Meanwhile, Manchester City and Aston Villa will host title holders PSG. Aston Villa’s clash with PSG at Villa Park will be a rematch of the recent UEFA Super Cup, won by the Parisians (2-1) in Salzburg. Liverpool will take on Inter Milan away and Atlético Madrid at home, while Manchester United will face Atlético Madrid on the road. English clubs will also face off against teams like FC Barcelona, Sporting CP, and Borussia Dortmund. The top four from each group will advance directly to the Round of 16, scheduled for March 2027. Teams ranked 9th to 24th will compete in playoffs in February to secure one of the remaining eight spots. Clubs finishing between 25th and 36th will be eliminated from the competition.
Four debutants and an African first
This Champions League edition will feature four debutants: Como, coached by Cesc Fàbregas, Austrian side LASK, Norwegian outfit Viking, and Azerbaijan’s Sabah, founded in 2017. Another historic milestone will see an African coach, former Manchester City midfielder Yaya Touré, lead Slovakian side Slovan Bratislava into the group stage after winning their qualifying playoff on Wednesday. The group stage match dates have been announced. The first six matchdays will run from September 8 to December 9, followed by a January break. The final two rounds are scheduled for January 19-20 and 27. The knockout phase playoffs will take place on February 16-17 and 23-24, followed by the Round of 16 on March 9-10 and 16-17. The quarter-finals are set for April 6-7 and 13-14, the semi-finals for April 27-28 and May 4-5, with the final at Madrid’s Wanda Metropolitano Stadium on June 5, 2027.
A packed schedule for English clubs
The first group stage matches will take place on September 8, 9, and 10. English clubs will then have the opportunity to shine on matchdays two (October 13-14), three (October 20-21), and four (November 3-4). Matchdays five and six are scheduled for November 24-25 and December 8-9. The exact kick-off times for the fixtures will be announced on Saturday. Among the standout fixtures, Manchester City will face PSG at home, while Aston Villa will host FC Barcelona. Liverpool, for their part, will travel to Inter Milan on matchday one. These encounters promise to deliver top-level entertainment for supporters of English clubs, as they compete in a demanding tournament.
Fréderic Manet · 28 août 2026 · 3 min de lecture
