Tribal Football

Holders PSG face tough UCL League Phase as Bayern Munich clash with Man Utd

Who will lift the Champions League trophy in June?
Who will lift the Champions League trophy in June?REUTERS / Manon Cruz

Two-time defending champions Paris Saint-Germain were handed meetings with Barcelona, Manchester City and Aston Villa among their eight matches in the league phase of this season's Champions League, as the draw took place on Thursday.

PSG, who beat Arsenal on penalties in May to retain the trophy, will play Barcelona, Roma, Turkish champions Galatasaray and Slovan Bratislava of Slovakia at home.

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Luis Enrique's team will travel to England twice to face City and Villa. They beat both teams on the way to winning their first Champions League title in 2025. The French champions will also go to Spain to play Villarreal and Italy to take on a Como side coached by Cesc Fabregas.

The first matches in this season's league phase will be played between Tuesday, September 8 and Thursday, September 10, with the final games in late January.

Last season's runners-up Arsenal, the Premier League champions, will begin with a clash away to Napoli and will notably host Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Lille as well as Sabah, the club from Azerbaijan who came through four qualifying ties to reach the league phase for the first time. The Gunners have a tough list of other away ties against Bayern Munich, Real Betis and Slavia Prague.

Andoni Iraola's Liverpool will first be at home to Atletico Madrid and will also host Porto, Villarreal and Lens, while playing Inter Milan, Club Brugge, Fenerbahce and Austrian league phase debutants LASK away.

Manchester United, who were not in the first pot of seeds, have home games against Bayern Munich, Roma, RB Leipzig after an opener against Sabah, and also a series of difficult away fixtures against Atletico, Sporting, Villarreal and Como.

Real Madrid entertaining Inter is the standout clash of the first week, while other notable games to follow later in the year include Manchester City vs Barcelona and Atletico Madrid vs Bayern Munich.

New names in this season's competition are Como, who have upset the traditional order in Serie A, and Sabah, while LASK made it to this stage for the first time after a stunning comeback win over Celtic in the play-offs.

Last year's Norwegian champions Viking have reached the Champions League proper for the first time too, and they have a glamorous fixture schedule that includes Bayern, Atletico, Villa and Napoli.

This is the third season since the introduction of the new format for the Champions League, with 36 teams now all pooled together in one giant league and each playing games against eight different opponents.

This season's final will be played at the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid on June 5th, 2027.

Here are the full Pot One fixtures: 

Napoli: Arsenal and Manchester City, as well as Club Brugge, Porto, Bodo/Glimt, Villarreal, Sabah Baku, Viking

Lille: Bayern, Arsenal, Real Betis, Roma, Galatasaray, Bodo/Glimt, Slovan Bratislava, Stuttgart

Bayern Munich: Arsenal and Atletico Madrid, Real Betis, Manchester United, Bodo/Glimt, Lille, Slavia Prague, Viking

Arsenal: Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Real Betis, Lille, Napoli, Sabah Baku, Slavia Prague

Liverpool: Atletico Madrid, Inter, Porto, Club Brugge, Villarreal, Fenerbahce, Lens, LASK

PSG: Barcelona, Manchester City, Roma, Aston Villa, Galatasaray, Villarreal, Slovan Bratislava, Como

Atletico Madrid: Bayern, Liverpool, Manchester United, PSV, Fenerbahce, Bodo/Glimt, Viking, Stuttgart

Barcelona: Manchester City, PSG, Aston Villa, Sporting CP, Feyenoord, Galatasaray, Como, Sabah Baku

Here are the full Pot Two fixtures: 

Man United: Bayern, Atleti, Roma, Sporting CP, Leipzig, Villarreal, Sabah, Como

Borussia Dortmund: Inter, Arsenal, Real Betis, Aston Villa, Villarreal, Bodo/Glimt, AEK Athens, Sabah

Roma: Real Madrid, PSG, Sporting CP, Man United, Lille, Fenerbahce, Bratislava, AEK Athens

Sporting CP: Barcelona, Man City, Man United, AS Roma, Galatasaray, Shakhtar, LASK, Lens

Aston Villa: PSG, Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund, Club Brugge, Fenerbahce, Galatasaray, Viking, Slavia Praha

Porto: Man City, Liverpool, PSV, Real Betis, Napoli, Feyenoord, Slavia Praha, LASK

Club Brugge: Liverpool, Inter, Aston Villa, PSV, Bodo/Glimt, Napoli, Lens, Stuttgart

Real Betis: Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Porto, Borussia Dortmund, Feyenoord, Lille, Como, Bratislava

PSV: Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid, Club Brugge, Porto, Shakhtar, Leipzig, Stuttgart, Viking

Here are the full Pot Three fixtures:

Feyenoord: Inter, Barcelona, Porto, Real Betis, Leipzig, Galatasaray, Como, Viking

Lille: Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Real Betis, Roma, Galatasaray, Bodo/Glimt, Bratislava, Stuttgart

Bodo/Glimt: Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich, Dortmund, Club Brugge, Lille, Napoli, LASK, Lens

Napoli: Arsenal, Man City, Club Brugge, Porto, Bodo/Glimt, Villarreal, Viking, Sabah

Leipzig: Man City, Real Madrid, PSV, Man United, Shakhtar, Feyenoord, Lens, Como

Villarreal: PSG, Liverpool, Man United, Dortmund, Napoli, Fenerbahce, Sabah Baku, Slavia Praha

Fenerbahce: Liverpool, Atletico Madrid, Roma, Aston Villa, Villarreal, Shakhtar, Slavia Praha, Lask

Shakhtar: Real Madrid, Inter, Sporting, PSV, Fenerbahce, Leipzig, AEK Athens, Bratislavia

Galatasaray: Barcelona, PSG, Aston Villa, PSG, Sporting, Feyenoord, Lille, Stuttgart, AEK Athens

Here are the full Pot Four fixtures:

Slavia Prague: Arsenal, Bayern, Aston Villa, Porto, Villarreal, Fenerbahce, Lens, Sabah Baku

Slovan Bratislava: Inter, PSG, Real Betis, Roma, Shakhtar, Lille, Stuttgart, LASK

Stuttgart: Atletico Madrid, Inter, Club Brugge, PSV, Lille, Galatasaray, Viking, Slovan Bratislava

AEK Athens: Real Madrid, Manchester City, Roma, Dortmund, Galatasaray, Shakhtar, Como, LASK

LASK: Liverpool, Real Madrid, Porto, Sporting CP, Fenerbahce, Bodo/Glimt, Slovan Bratislava, AEK Athens

Como: PSG, Barcelona, Manchester United, Real Betis, RB Leipzig, Feyenoord, AEK Athens, Lens

Lens: Manchester City, Liverpool, Sporting, Club Brugge, Bodo/Glimt, RB Leipzig, Como, Slavia Prague

Viking: Bayern, Atletico Madrid, PSV, Aston Villa, Feyenoord, Napoli, Sabah Baku, Stuttgart

Sabah Baku: Barcelona, Arsenal, Dortmund, Manchester United, Napoli, Villarreal, Slavia Prague, Viking

Click here for the dates and times of each League Phase clash

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