Arsenal, last season's Champions League finalists, have been drawn against Real Madrid and Bayern Munich in this year's league phase, setting up blockbuster clashes for the Premier League champions in Europe's premier club competition.

The Gunners, who topped the qualifying round with a flawless record, will also face Borussia Dortmund and Napoli among their eight league-phase fixtures, with home games against Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Lille, and Sabah, and away trips to Bayern Munich, Real Betis, Napoli, and Slavia Prague.

City and Villa both draw PSG at home

In a striking coincidence, both Manchester City and Aston Villa will host reigning holders PSG at their respective stadiums. The Villa Park encounter carries added spice — it is a repeat of the recent UEFA Super Cup, which PSG claimed 2-1 in Salzburg.

Aston Villa's full list of opponents also includes Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund, Club Brugge, Fenerbahce, Galatasaray, Viking, and Slavia Prague. Manchester City, meanwhile, will also travel to Barcelona and face Sporting CP, Porto, Napoli, RB Leipzig, AEK Athens, and Lens across their eight matchdays.

Liverpool face Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid

Liverpool's campaign includes a demanding away trip to Inter Milan as well as a home fixture against Atletico Madrid. The Reds will also meet FC Porto, Club Brugge, Villarreal, Fenerbahce, Lens, and Lask across the league phase.

Manchester United are also drawn against Atletico Madrid — away — and will additionally face Bayern Munich, Roma, Sporting CP, RB Leipzig, Villarreal, Sabah, and Como in their eight outings.

How the league phase works

The league phase opens across September 8–10 and runs through six rounds until December, before resuming in January. The final matchday falls on January 27.

The top eight sides in the standings advance directly to the round of 16 in March. Teams finishing between ninth and 24th enter a knockout play-off round in February to contest the remaining eight last-16 spots. Any club finishing 25th or lower is eliminated from European competition.

Full fixture dates, kick-off times, and the complete match schedule are set to be confirmed on Saturday.

Champions League key dates

Matchday 1: September 8–10 | Matchday 2: October 13–14 | Matchday 3: October 20–21 | Matchday 4: November 3–4 | Matchday 5: November 24–25 | Matchday 6: December 8–9 | Matchday 7: January 19–20 | Matchday 8: January 27.

Knockout play-offs: February 16/17 and 23/24 | Round of 16: March 9/10 and 16/17, 2027 | Quarter-finals: April 6/7 and 13/14 | Semi-finals: April 27/28 and May 4/5 | Final: June 5, 2027 — Wanda Metropolitano Stadium, Madrid.