Champions League New Season Draw Unveiled: Liverpool Land Favorable Draw, Barcelona Face Stern Test

The draw for the new league phase of the 2026-27 Champions League was finalized on Thursday evening, bringing together the fates of 36 teams. Whether traditional giants, emerging forces, or other participants, all will face a series of highly newsworthy matchups. Several industry experts offered their analyses and interpretations of the draw from different angles.

- Draw Focus: Did Liverpool land the golden ticket?

- Marquee Clash: Arsenal vs. Real Madrid emerges as the standout fixture

- Newcomer Profile: Sabah — Champions League debutants and Arsenal's opponent — just who are they?

Paris Saint-Germain meet Manchester City, Real Madrid face Arsenal, Barcelona host Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City again collide with Barcelona, Arsenal take on Bayern Munich... These heavyweight showdowns will define the league phase of the 2026-27 Champions League. The new season kicks off on September 8, though the full fixture list will not be confirmed until this weekend.

Unlike previous years, this season's league phase schedule features no rematches of last season's quarter-finals, semi-finals, or final. The competition's design philosophy was precisely to generate more blockbuster clashes early in the season, and the draw has delivered exactly that. Such an arrangement will undoubtedly force Europe's elite to hit their stride early. Looking back at last season, both Arsenal and Bayern Munich advanced deep into the competition — reaching the final and semi-finals respectively — on the strength of their league phase performances, only to be eliminated by Paris Saint-Germain, a side that had long underperformed at that stage.

For most fans, the most compelling storyline of the league phase may well be the sight of debutants hosting European giants on their own turf.

Como, embarking on their first European campaign, will host heavyweights Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United at home while also traveling to Barcelona; fellow newcomers Sabah will welcome Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund at home, and make two trips to England to face Arsenal and Manchester United. Norwegian side Viking and Austria's LASK Linz make their historic debuts following the introduction of the group stage or league phase — the former hosts Bayern Munich at home, while the latter faces formidable opponents including Liverpool and Porto. Meanwhile, Bodo/Glimt — last season's surprise package in the winter knockout phase and not to be underestimated — will welcome Atletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund to their cozy Aspmyra Stadium, nestled near the Arctic Circle.

According to the relevant data agency's power rankings, seven teams will each face three sides currently ranked in the world's top ten: Atletico Madrid, Como, RB Leipzig, Roma, Sabah, Sporting CP, and Villarreal. — Expert Comment

Andoni Iraola has never participated in European competition as a coach, but the new Liverpool boss has been handed a relatively gentle opening in the league phase.

Liverpool have cleverly avoided the top-tier heavyweights — including Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Bayern Munich — instead drawing Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid, who are relatively more straightforward opponents from the same pot of seeds. Beyond those two, for the six-time European champions, the remaining opposition — Club Brugge, Villarreal, Fenerbahce, Lens, and LASK Linz — should pose little threat, and they look well placed to comfortably seal a top-eight berth.

Among this set of opponents, the away trip to LASK Linz may require extra caution, as the Austrian side produced an astonishing comeback in the play-offs, overturning a four-goal deficit to beat Celtic and secure their league phase ticket.

If Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid are ever to end their long run of Champions League heartbreak and finally lift the trophy, this season surely represents their best window — especially given that the final will be played at their own Metropolitano Stadium. Even better, the La Liga third-place side, despite facing the likes of Bayern Munich, Liverpool, and Manchester United, have been handed a relatively comfortable path to the knockout rounds.

Atletico have every reason to fancy their chances at home against Manchester United, and will be confident of sealing a top-eight spot early by beating PSV Eindhoven, Fenerbahce, Viking, and Stuttgart. For Atletico, the trickiest assignment may be the away trip to Bodo/Glimt — the Norwegian side famously stunned them 2-1 at the Metropolitano in the final round of last season's league phase; a result that left a lasting impression.

On the surface, Azerbaijani champions Sabah's draw looks like a nightmare, with fixtures against Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund, Arsenal, and Manchester United. Yet for a club founded less than a decade ago (assembled in 2017), facing four former European champions in their maiden Champions League campaign is the stuff of dreams.

Both Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund must undertake long journeys to Baku, the Azerbaijani capital, to face Sabah — as the club's home ground in Masazir does not meet UEFA standards — while Sabah, nicknamed the "Owls," will visit the Emirates Stadium and Old Trafford to take on Arsenal and Manchester United respectively. In addition, Napoli and Villarreal also boast rich pedigree, ensuring Sabah's season will be filled with countless unforgettable moments.

Jose Mourinho's return to Real Madrid brings an emotionally charged reunion — against Inter Milan, the club he led to Champions League glory at the Bernabeu in 2010. Beyond the home clash with Inter, the away fixture at Arsenal shapes up as Real Madrid's sternest test, and offers Vinicius Junior an early opportunity to inspect a potential new employer — should he opt to join the Premier League champions this summer.

Mourinho will also make a return to Roma, another former stop in his managerial career, yet PSV Eindhoven, RB Leipzig, Shakhtar Donetsk (whose matches will be staged at Stamford Bridge, also familiar terrain for Mourinho), LASK Linz, and AEK Athens are unlikely to present genuine threats to Real Madrid. As such, the club's hierarchy should be quite satisfied with this fixture list. — Expert Comment

After falling at the semi-final stage in 2025 and the quarter-finals in 2026, this season is widely viewed as Barcelona's best chance for silverware under Hansi Flick. They have won back-to-back La Liga titles and now have their sights set squarely on the Champions League trophy that has eluded them since 2015.

However, for Lamine Yamal and his team-mates, this draw is anything but a smooth ride: from Pot 1 they face Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain, from Pot 2 Aston Villa — with Unai Emery's European pedigree never to be underestimated — from Pot 3 a tricky away trip to Galatasaray, and from Pot 4 two of the most awkward opponents imaginable: a vibrant Como side led by Cesc Fabregas, and Sabah.

They may well navigate their way through in the end, but the journey promises to be fraught with obstacles.

Manchester United's return to European competition carries great significance, and after an uncertain start to their Premier League campaign, Michael Carrick's side now face a rather daunting league phase. Semi-finalists last season, Bayern Munich are among the trickiest opponents in Pot 1, while an away trip to Atletico Madrid's Metropolitano — given the fearsome atmosphere Diego Simeone's side cultivate — is far from a comfortable assignment.

Looking further through the remaining fixtures: which games can United realistically bank on taking maximum points from? Perhaps the match against Villarreal (more on that below), but even that is an away fixture, in Spain. At least United will be strong favourites at home against Sabah, though the away trip to Como also shapes up as a tough nut to crack.

To be fair, Villarreal's league phase performance last season was an embarrassment for a club that reached the Champions League semi-finals in 2022 and lifted the Europa League in 2021. They managed just one point from eight matches (level with Kairat Almaty), finishing 35th among the 36 teams. And this season brings little good news for new head coach Inigo Perez, a novice at this level of competition. Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool, Manchester United, Borussia Dortmund, and Napoli will all be favoured against the "Yellow Submarine," while an away trip to Fenerbahce is fraught with uncertainty.

It will be worth watching whether Villarreal can secure positive results against fourth-pot opponents Sabah and Slavia Prague to improve on last season's dismal points tally. — Expert Comment

Aston Villa: their Premier League season has started poorly, and they lost key players over the summer including Morgan Rogers, Ezri Konsa, and Youri Tielemans; now they face two of Europe's absolute elite from Pot 1: Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona. Borussia Dortmund and Club Brugge will also be tough, the trip to Galatasaray is long and arduous, and Viking are a complete unknown. Unai Emery will need every ounce of his European experience, plus a slice of luck, to navigate this safely. — Expert Comment

Full fixture schedule to be released Saturday

Barcelona vs. Manchester City: less than a month after his blockbuster transfer, we will see Rodri reunited with his former club. Manchester City have consistently found this stage difficult since the new league phase was introduced, and a trip to Camp Nou is bound to be fraught. Rodri, one of the standout performers at the World Cup, has significantly strengthened Barcelona while weakening City. Can Enzo Maresca get City's midfield recalibrated in time?

Barcelona vs. Como: under Cesc Fabregas's tutelage, Como stormed to fourth place in Serie A last season to secure their first-ever Champions League qualification. Fabregas spent three years at Barcelona as a player between 2011 and 2014 and knows his former club inside out. Como are desperate to make their mark on the grandest stage, and a positive result against Barcelona would send shockwaves through the competition.

Manchester United vs. Bayern Munich: these two clubs share a deep history in this competition. In 1999, they produced one of the most unforgettable finals in Champions League history, with United scoring twice in stoppage time to complete a miraculous comeback. In 2023, Bayern again played a part in United's group-stage elimination — the last Champions League campaign under Erik ten Hag. What new chapter will be written this time around?

Paris Saint-Germain vs. Barcelona: the reason this clash in Paris is regarded as one of the most anticipated fixtures needs little explanation — two title favourites going head-to-head. It also marks Ferran Torres's first meeting with his former club following his summer move to Paris Saint-Germain after his World Cup final heroics.

Villarreal vs. Manchester United: a rather fitting twist of fate — after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's departure in November 2021, Michael Carrick's first match as interim United manager was precisely a Champions League away fixture against Villarreal. United won 2-0 that night, and now Carrick returns to the same ground as permanent boss, no doubt hoping for a similar outcome.

Arsenal vs. Real Madrid: Mourinho has a long history of encounters with Arsenal during his time in England — most notably his classic battles with Arsene Wenger during his Chelsea tenure. Having returned to the Real Madrid dugout this summer, one can easily imagine the Portuguese enjoying every moment of winding up the Emirates crowd. Grab the popcorn and enjoy the show. — Expert Comment

Paris Saint-Germain: Luis Enrique's side have produced "slow starts, strong finishes" in each of the last two seasons, and this time — facing six opponents from Europe's big five leagues, plus a winless start to their league campaign — there is genuine risk of another sluggish opening.

Arsenal: the English top club have drawn two heavyweight opponents — Real Madrid visiting and an away trip to Munich — but beyond that, their draw is relatively kind: among teams currently ranked in the top 30 by the relevant data agency, they face only one other.

Bayern Munich: few clubs navigate the group or league phase as consistently smoothly as Bayern. They will have the chance to avenge last season's early exit at the hands of Arsenal, and their away fixture list is comparatively manageable relative to their rivals.

Manchester City: Maresca has a heavy task in moulding this new and intriguing squad, and City face several pivotal battles in the league phase: away at Barcelona and at home to Paris Saint-Germain. Away trips to Leipzig and Porto could prove awkward, but in these early stages, City's biggest enemy may well be themselves.

Real Madrid: based on the relevant data agency's current ratings, Mourinho's side will face three of the six weakest teams in the draw, and only one team ranked in the top seven. This will afford them enormous margin for error and hand Kylian Mbappe ample opportunity to replicate last season's jaw-dropping goal tally.

Inter Milan: the Italian top club face only four matches against teams from Europe's big five leagues, but they should experience passionately hostile atmospheres on their travels, particularly at Liverpool, Club Brugge, and Stuttgart.

Borussia Dortmund: an away trip to Arsenal may be too much for a young and rebuilt Dortmund — and nobody wants to travel north to face Bodo/Glimt — but home fixtures against Inter Milan, Real Betis, Villarreal, and AEK Athens could yield a four-match winning streak on home soil. — Expert Comment

Qualification predictions:

Expert (Kirkland): Arsenal. Their defence remains solid — remember, last season they conceded just four goals in the league phase, half of them in matchday eight — and their attack is set to become even stronger.

Expert (Connelly): Also Arsenal. Aside from the two big-name opponents, their draw is relatively kind, and they have genuinely started this season in form from the off.

Expert (Dawson): Bayern Munich. A great team, they finished second last season, and they have eight winnable matches on their plate.

Expert (Ogden): Liverpool. Not the strongest squad this year, but they have the easiest fixture list among the top seeds and should comfortably win the majority of their matches.

Top-eight predictions:

Expert (Kirkland): Arsenal, Bayern, Barcelona, PSG, Real Madrid, Inter, Liverpool, Como. Despite Barcelona's tough fixtures, they will still get through comfortably; Real Madrid will improve on last year; and Como will surprise everyone.

Expert (Connelly): Arsenal, Barcelona, Bayern, Inter, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Porto, Stuttgart. The top three are arguably the best teams in Europe — aside from PSG, who have a habit of dropping out of the top eight before they hit their stride — while the bottom five combine quality with fixture feasibility nicely.

Expert (Dawson): Bayern, Arsenal, Liverpool, Barcelona, PSG, Real Madrid, Inter, Man City. PSG surely cannot drop out of the top eight again. City's prospects depend on their squad after the transfer deadline. Bayern, Arsenal, and Barcelona are the three strongest teams in Europe.

Expert (Ogden): Liverpool, PSG, Arsenal, Man City, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern. Plenty of familiar names should book their place in the last 16 directly, without needing the play-off round.

Teams most likely to drop out of the top eight:

Expert (Kirkland): Atletico Madrid. Julian Alvarez was crucial to their run to the semi-finals last year, and he is either deeply unhappy or could be playing for another club.

Expert (Connelly): Manchester City. Coach Maresca may need time to settle on his lineup, and the matches against PSG and Barcelona could be brutal.

Expert (Dawson): Atletico Madrid. The transfer saga surrounding Alvarez has made for a difficult summer and could unsettle their entire season.

Expert (Ogden): Manchester United. United have an extremely tough fixture list and will not relish away trips to Villarreal, Sporting CP, and Como. Meanwhile, Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid boast Champions League experience that Michael Carrick's side simply cannot match.