Manchester United will also face Bayern, while both Manchester City and Aston Villa have been drawn against Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona. Liverpool, meanwhile, will travel to Serie A champions Internazionale and welcome Atletico Madrid to Anfield in what promises to be one of the standout ties of the league phase.
The league phase will get underway on Tuesday, September 8, with the final round of fixtures scheduled for January 27, 2027.
The exact fixture schedule, including dates and kick-off times, will be confirmed on Saturday.
Gauntlet of European giants for ArsenalArsenal‘s route through the league phase sees them pitted against two of the biggest names in European football. Real Madrid will visit the Emirates Stadium, while Mikel Arteta’s side must travel to Bayern Munich.
The Gunners will also face Borussia Dortmund at home and Real Betis away, alongside meetings with Lille, Napoli, Sabah FK and Slavia Prague.
Arsenal: Real Madrid (H), Bayern Munich (A), Borussia Dortmund (H), Real Betis (A), Lille (H), Napoli (A), Sabah FK (H), Slavia Prague (A).
Man Utd face Atletico and Bayern
Manchester United have been handed a heavyweight return to the Champions League, with Atletico Madrid away and Bayern Munich at Old Trafford among their headline fixtures.
Roma will also travel to Manchester, while United face away trips to Sporting CP, Villarreal and Como. RB Leipzig and Sabah FK complete their schedule.
Manchester United: Atletico Madrid (A), Bayern Munich (H), Roma (H), Sporting CP (A), RB Leipzig (H), Villarreal (A), Sabah FK (H), Como (A).
Liverpool handed Anfield reunion with Atletico
Liverpool’s draw provides arguably the pick of the bunch, with Internazionale away and Atletico Madrid heading to Anfield.
The Reds will also host Porto and Villarreal, as well as travelling to Club Brugge, Fenerbahce and LASK. Lens complete Andoni Iraola’s side’s league-phase schedule.
The Atletico fixture will have added significance, with Diego Simeone returning to Anfield for another chapter in his long-running European rivalry with Liverpool.
Liverpool: Inter Milan (A), Atletico Madrid (H), FC Porto (H), Club Brugge (A), Villarreal (H), Fenerbahce (A), Lens (H), LASK (A).
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Man City and Aston Villa face PSG and Barcelona
Manchester City have been handed two of the biggest tests available, with reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain visiting the Etihad Stadium before City travel to Barcelona.
Sporting CP, Porto, Napoli, RB Leipzig, AEK Athens and Lens make up the remainder of their schedule.
Manchester City: PSG (H), Barcelona (A), Sporting CP (H), FC Porto (A), Napoli (H), RB Leipzig (A), AEK Athens (H), Lens (A).
Aston Villa face a similarly daunting challenge. Unai Emery’s side will travel to Barcelona and host PSG, while Borussia Dortmund also visit Villa Park.
Club Brugge, Fenerbahce, Galatasaray, Viking and Slavia Prague make up the rest of Villa’s opponents.
Aston Villa: Barcelona (A), PSG (H), Borussia Dortmund (H), Club Brugge (A), Fenerbahce (H), Galatasaray (A), Viking (H), Slavia Prague (A).
Mourinho set for Stamford Bridge return
There is one more English stadium featuring prominently in the draw, with Stamford Bridge set to host Champions League football despite Chelsea not being among the English qualifiers.
Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho is set for a return to his former home when his side face Shakhtar Donetsk in west London. The Portuguese enjoyed two spells in charge of Chelsea and remains one of the most decorated managers in the club’s history.
Shakhtar will be using Stamford Bridge as their home venue this season because they remain unable to play in Donetsk.
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The Ukrainian club have been displaced from their Donbas Arena since 2014, due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. Since then, Shakhtar have staged European home fixtures at venues across Europe.
The move to London has been made possible by Chelsea’s absence from European competition this season. Shakhtar playing at Stamford Bridge will add an unusual English twist to the competition’s league phase.
Shakhtar’s other home fixtures include Fenerbahce and Sporting CP, while they will travel to Inter, PSV, RB Leipzig and Slovan Bratislava.
Record 15-time winners Real will face a stern examination, with the Spanish giants hosting Inter Milan as well as travelling to Arsenal. They will also meet PSV Eindhoven, Roma, RB Leipzig, Shakhtar, LASK and AEK Athens.
The clash with Inter carries an intriguing subplot, with Real’s new manager Mourinho coming up against one of his former clubs.
Mourinho returned to the Santiago Bernabeu for a second spell in charge of Madrid in June, having previously guided Inter to Champions League glory in 2010 before leaving Italy for Spain.
Madrid awaits the Champions League final
The Estadio Metropolitano in Madrid will provide the grand stage when the 2026/27 Champions League winners are crowned on Saturday, June 5, 2027.
Madrid is set to host the final for the sixth time, with only London having staged more. It will be the second occasion on which Atletico Madrid’s home has welcomed European football’s showpiece event, having first done so in 2019.
On that occasion, Liverpool defeated Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 to lift the trophy for a sixth time. Eight years on, the Metropolitano will once again take centre stage as Europe’s elite battle for Champions League glory.
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Who are Sabah?
Both Arsenal and Manchester United have been handed one of the Champions League’s most intriguing newcomers in Sabah, an Azerbaijani club embarking on their maiden appearance in Europe’s premier competition.
Sabah were only established in 2017, but their rise has been remarkably swift. They reached Azerbaijan’s top flight after just one season and completed their ascent by claiming their first domestic title this summer.
Highlights: Sabah pull off remarkable late comeback to book spot in UCL league phase
Video credit: TNT Sports
Their lack of European pedigree should not be mistaken for a lack of experience in this campaign, however. Sabah have already come through four qualifying rounds to reach the league phase, culminating in a 6-4 aggregate victory over Hapoel Be’er Sheva in the play-offs.
When are the league-phase matches?Matchday 1: 8-10 September 2026Matchday 2: 13/14 October 2026Matchday 3: 20/21 October 2026Matchday 4: 3/4 November 2026Matchday 5: 24/25 November 2026Matchday 6: 8/9 December 2026Matchday 7: 19/20 January 2027Matchday 8: 27 January 2027When are the knockout-phase matches?Knockout-phase play-offs: 16/17 & 23/24 February 2027Round of 16: 9/10 & 16/17 March 2027Quarter-finals: 6/7 & 13/14 April 2027Semi-finals: 27/28 April & 4/5 May 2027Final: 5 June 2027Add TNT Sports as a preferred source here to enjoy more content like this.Download the TNT Sports app on iPhone and Android.Stream the Premier League, Men’s and Women’s FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League and more live with TNT Sports on HBO Max.