Holders Real Madrid will face Liverpool away and host Borussia Dortmund in a repeat of last season’s final during the league stage of the revamped Champions League, as revealed in Thursday’s draw.
The new format sees all 36 teams pooled into one league rather than being split into groups, with each club playing eight matches against different opponents.
Madrid, who have added French superstar Kylian Mbappe since winning their record-extending 15th European Cup, will also host AC Milan and travel to Atalanta.
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Real defeated Atalanta, last season’s Europa League winners, in the UEFA Super Cup earlier this month.
Liverpool, returning to the Champions League after a one-season absence, will also meet Milan and face tournament debutants Girona.
Fans will be particularly excited about the chance to host Bayer Leverkusen, managed by former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso.
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Manchester City, winners of the 2023 competition, will play at home against Italian champions Inter Milan and visit Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus.
They also face more manageable opponents like Club Brugge, Sparta Prague, and Slovan Bratislava, who have not previously competed in the modern Champions League.
Other notable matchups include Bayern Munich against PSG and Barcelona, and Arsenal taking on Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain.
The Champions League now features 36 teams, divided into four seeded pots for the draw. Each team will play two opponents from each pot, home and away.
The first matches are scheduled for September 17, 18, and 19. The top eight teams in the league phase will advance directly to the last 16, while those ranked ninth to 24th will enter a playoff round to determine the remaining eight spots. The bottom 12 teams will be eliminated with no drop-down to the Europa League.
The Europa League and third-tier Conference League will also expand to 36 teams each, with the Conference League featuring only six matchdays in its league phase.
The draws for these competitions will take place on Friday.
