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European titleholders Paris St-Germain are set to take on Premier League heavyweights Manchester City and Aston Villa alongside five-time tournament winners Barcelona during the league phase of the current Champions League campaign.
The back-to-back champions will play host to Barca at the Parc des Princes, while also facing away fixtures in Villa Park and Manchester during the newly structured draw.
Meanwhile, Premier League holders Arsenal will welcome 15-time winners Real Madrid to the Emirates Stadium and take a trip to face Bayern Munich.
Mikel Arteta’s squad, who fell to PSG on penalties in last season’s final, are also slated to square off against Borussia Dortmund, Real Betis, Lille, Napoli, Azerbaijani champions Sabah, and Slavia Prague.
Under Enzo Maresca, Manchester City will host PSG at the Etihad Stadium and make a trip to Barcelona, setting the stage for a reunion with Spanish World Cup winner Rodri following his 65 million pound transfer to the Nou Camp this summer.
City will additionally lock horns with former midfielder Kevin de Bruyne when Napoli travel to Manchester, with Sporting, Porto, RB Leipzig, AEK Athens, and Lens completing their fixture list.
Europa League holders Aston Villa, making their return to the competition after a single-season absence, will welcome PSG and Dortmund while taking trips to face Barcelona and Galatasaray.
Unai Emery’s side are also scheduled to test themselves against Club Brugge, Fenerbahce, Viking, and Slavia Prague.
Manchester United, making their comeback following a two-year absence, will match up against Bayern, Atletico Madrid, Roma, Sporting, Leipzig, Villarreal, Sabah, and Como. Liverpool will host Atletico, Porto, Villarreal, and Lens while traveling to face Inter Milan, Brugge, Fenerbahce, and LASK.
The opening league-phase fixtures kick off on Tuesday, September 8, while the final round of matches is scheduled for January 27, 2027, with the precise calendar set to drop on Saturday. The tournament’s finale will take place in Madrid on June 5.
Fixture breakdown for Premier League participants:
Arsenal: Real Madrid (home), Bayern Munich (away), Borussia Dortmund (home), Real Betis (away), Lille (home), Napoli (away), Sabah (home), Slavia Prague (away)
Aston Villa: PSG (home), Barcelona (away), Borussia Dortmund (home), Club Brugge (away), Fenerbahce (home), Galatasaray (away), Viking (home), Slavia Prague (away)
Liverpool: Atletico Madrid (home), Inter Milan (away), Porto (home), Club Brugge (away), Villarreal (home), Fenerbahce (away), Lens (home), LASK (away)
Manchester City: PSG (home), Barcelona (away), Sporting Club (home), Porto (away), Napoli (home), Leipzig (away), AEK Athens (home), Lens (away)
Manchester United: Bayern Munich (home), Atletico Madrid (away), Roma (home), Sporting Club (away), Leipzig (home), Villarreal (away), Sabah (home), Como (away)
Under the league phase format, each of the 36 clubs matches up against eight different opponents—playing four fixtures at home and four away.
Clubs finishing inside the top eight secure direct qualification to the last 16, whereas those placing ninth through 24th enter a two-legged knockout playoff round.
Teams ending up 25th or lower are eliminated entirely without dropping down into the Europa League.
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