Champions League Draw Dishes Up Blockbusters: Who The Giants Face — And Why It’s Tough

Europe’s elite learned their eight league-phase opponents on Thursday, August 28, after UEFA conducted the 2025/26 Champions League draw in Monaco. The revamped “league phase” means every club plays eight different opponents (four home, four away) between September and January, with the top eight advancing directly to the last-16 and 9th–24th going into a playoff. Matchdays run Sept 16–18 through Jan 28, 2026.

Real Madrid: Anfield, City and a marathon to Kazakhstan

Real Madrid’s headline ties include Liverpool away — always box-office — and Manchester City at the Bernabéu. They also host Juventus and Marseille, travel to Benfica and Olympiacos, and face a mammoth trip to Kairat Almaty in Kazakhstan. The schedule mixes glamour with grind: Anfield and Lisbon are hostile, Piraeus is notoriously fiery, and the Almaty trek is the longest of the league phase.

Barcelona

PSG at home, Chelsea away, and a testing night on Tyneside
Barça’s draw pairs them with PSG at Montjuïc, a renewed rivalry rich in recent drama, plus Chelsea away. They also host Eintracht Frankfurt, Olympiacos and Copenhagen, and travel to Club Brugge, Slavia Praha and Newcastle United, where St James’ Park can tilt a tight night. It’s a balanced slate on paper, but the Chelsea and Newcastle trips stand out as potential swing games.

Bayern Munich: the heaviest average schedule?

Bayern landed a gauntlet: PSG away, Arsenal away, and Chelsea at home headline the board, with tricky trips to PSV and Pafos rounding it out. Early assessments peg Bayern’s slate among the toughest by average opponent quality, even if the Bavarians back themselves to lock down a top-eight berth.

Paris Saint-Germain (holders)

Star-studded home nights, awkward away days
The champions welcome Bayern, Atalanta, Tottenham and Newcastle to Paris — four games that should feel like knockout nights. Away, they visit Barcelona, Bayer Leverkusen, Sporting CP and Athletic Club — an itinerary heavy on hostile atmospheres. On paper, it’s marquee-laden, but PSG’s depth should help them manage the load.

Manchester City: Real away, heavyweights at home

City’s headline is Real Madrid away, while the Etihad hosts Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen and Napoli, three tests that should gauge City’s ceiling. They also travel to Villarreal, Bodø/Glimt and Monaco, with Galatasaray visiting Manchester. It’s a draw that looks navigable — but Real at the Bernabéu looms large.

Liverpool: a classic with Madrid plus hostile road trips

Anfield gets Real Madrid and PSV, while Arne Slot’s side goes on the road to Inter, Atlético Madrid, Eintracht Frankfurt and Galatasaray — a murderer’s row of atmospheres — and hosts Qarabağ. The blend of a superpower showdown and rugged away days should keep Liverpool sharp throughout the phase.

Arsenal: Kane’s Bayern to London; San Siro away

The Gunners welcome Bayern Munich and Atlético Madrid to the Emirates, play Inter at San Siro, and face useful barometers in Club Brugge (away) and Athletic Club (away). Home assignments against Olympiacos and Kairat Almaty should be must-take points in a slate that’s demanding but fair.

Chelsea: Barcelona at the Bridge, three tough road trips

Stamford Bridge will stage Barcelona, Benfica and Ajax, with Pafos rounding out the home set. Away, Chelsea must visit Bayern, Atalanta, Napoli and Qarabağ — a trio of heavyweight footballing exams plus a long haul to Azerbaijan. It’s a draw with plenty of jeopardy, offset by big-night potential in London.

Tottenham Hotspur: PSG in Paris, Dortmund in London

Spurs’ calendar features PSG away — a daunting night at Parc des Princes — while Borussia Dortmund and Villarreal come to London. They also travel to Eintracht Frankfurt, Bodø/Glimt and Monaco, and host Slavia Praha and Copenhagen. If Spurs hold serve at home, they’ll like their playoff odds.

Newcastle United: Barça at home, Paris and Leverkusen away

Newcastle’s headline is Barcelona at St James’ Park, with Benfica, PSV and Athletic Club also visiting. Away trips to PSG, Bayer Leverkusen, Marseille, and Union Saint-Gilloise make this one of the Premier League’s spikier slates, full of travel, tempo and intimidation.

Inter: English heavyweights at San Siro, yellow-wall away

Inter host Liverpool and Arsenal — two Premier League showpieces — and Slavia Praha and Kairat Almaty. Their road list sends them to Borussia Dortmund and Atlético Madrid, plus Ajax and Union Saint-Gilloise. The home field should be decisive for Simone Inzaghi’s side as they bed in after a turbulent summer.

Juventus: Bernabéu test and tricky travellers

Juve’s away days include Real Madrid, Villarreal, Bodø/Glimt and Monaco — none straightforward — while Borussia Dortmund, Benfica, Sporting CP and Pafos head to Turin. The blend of historical bogey teams and long-haul logistics means focus will be at a premium for Thiago Motta’s men.

Atlético Madrid: Road Grit Required

Atlético must visit Liverpool, Arsenal, PSV and Galatasaray, while hosting Inter, Eintracht Frankfurt, Bodø/Glimtand Union SG. It’s a draw that screams “Cholo-ball”: sturdy away performances will define their ceiling, with the Metropolitano expected to deliver points.