The Champions League league phase draw takes place on Thursday.
This year's Champions League league phase draw takes place on Thursday
This year's Champions League league phase draw takes place on Thursday (Image: REACH PLC)
There is considerable Premier League interest surrounding this week's Champions League draw, with at least one of Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Aston Villa and Liverpool set to face a blockbuster league phase fixture. All five sides will fly the flag for England in this season's competition, with last season's impressive showing from English clubs securing an additional place.
The Champions League league phase draw is scheduled for Thursday 27 August at 5pm (UK time). Match dates and kick-off times will be confirmed by Saturday at the latest, with the opening league phase fixtures to be played on September 8. As has been the case since the competition introduced its new league phase format, every club will face two opponents from pot one, two from pot two, two from pot three and two from pot four. This guarantees some mouth-watering encounters from the outset.
Our simulated draw has thrown up some enormous match-ups, including several chances for revenge following high-profile recent encounters...
Pot 1: Atletico Madrid (h), Paris Saint-Germain (a).
Pot 2: Real Betis (h), Porto (a).
Pot 3: Napoli (h), Shakhtar (a).
Pot 4: Como (h), AEK Athens or Levski Sofia (a).
One of the most memorable results from last season's league phase was Arsenal's emphatic 4-0 victory over Atletico Madrid. Our simulation has produced a rematch at the Emirates Stadium in gameweek two, with the Gunners also facing a trip to the Parc des Princes to battle Paris Saint-Germain in a repeat of the 2025/26 final.
Mikel Arteta's squad will face Porto and Real Betis from pot two, alongside Napoli and Shakhtar from pot three. The latter fixture will be a relatively brief journey, with the Ukrainian outfit hosting their home matches at Stamford Bridge this season. They also face a reunion with Cesc Fabregas' Como, who are making their Champions League bow and are placed in pot four.
Pot 1: Barcelona (h), Real Madrid (a).
Pot 2: Sporting CP (h), Borussia Dortmund (a).
Pot 3: Feyenoord (h), Bodo/Glimt or NEC (a).
Pot 4: Celtic or LASK (h), Stuttgart (a).
Enzo Maresca's inaugural Champions League fixture as Manchester City manager is a daunting prospect if our simulator proves accurate. It has them travelling to the Bernabeu to face Real Madrid, with Barcelona their other pot one opponents.
The pot two opposition includes Sporting CP and Borussia Dortmund. From pot three, they face Feyenoord and the victor of Bodo/Glimt vs NEC. Maresca's side are also predicted to meet one of the play-off victors from pot four, the winner of Celtic vs LASK. Their other pot four opposition, according to our predictor, are German outfit VfB Stuttgart.
Pot 1: Real Madrid (h), Paris Saint-Germain (a).
Pot 2: Club Brugge (h), Porto (a).
Pot 3: Napoli (h), Bodo/Glimt or NEC (a).
Pot 4: Slavia Prague (h), Celtic or LASK (a).
Manchester United will make their return to the Champions League under Michael Carrick, with one of their standout fixtures seeing them face a Paris Saint-Germain team against whom they secured a memorable victory in 2019. They must wait until gameweek five for their other pot one clash, but it's a significant encounter with Real Madrid visiting Old Trafford.
United's absence from Europe last season explains their placement in pot two. Porto and Club Brugge, two of Carrick's side's projected adversaries, also feature there. Pot three delivers Napoli at home in their opening match, plus a journey to meet the victor of Bodo/Glimt vs NEC. Regarding pot four, it's Slavia Prague and the winner of Celtic vs LASK.
Five clubs from England will be involved in the initial league phase
Five clubs from England will be involved in the initial league phase (Image: Getty)
Pot 1: Barcelona (h), Inter Milan (a).
Pot 2: Borussia Dortmund (h), Roma (a).
Pot 3: Lyon or Fenerbahce (h), Lille (a).
Pot 4: Slovan Bratislava or Celje (h), Stuttgart (a).
Villa's fourth-place finish in the league last season would have secured their Champions League place even without their Europa League victory. Our simulation gives them a fiery opener away at Inter Milan, along with a home clash against Barcelona on the final matchday of the league phase.
Pot two brings a reunion with Donyell Malen, who has been in outstanding form since leaving Villa for Roma, plus a home fixture against Malen's former side, Dortmund. There's also a match against Lille as one of the pot three encounters, alongside the winner of the play-off between Fenerbahce and Lyon.
Moving to pot four and, in addition to Stuttgart, another play-off winner awaits. Slovan Bratislava and Celje are delicately balanced at 1-1 ahead of Wednesday's second leg, with our simulator sending the victors to Villa Park on gameweek three.
Pot 1: Inter Milan (h), Atletico Madrid (a).
Pot 2: Roma (h), Real Betis (a).
Pot 3: Galatasaray (h), Lille (a).
Pot 4: Hapoel Be'er Sheva or Sabah (h), Slovan Bratislava or Celje (a).
Andoni Iraola's predecessor Arne Slot kicked off with a thrilling victory against Atletico Madrid in September last year, and our simulator has the new Liverpool manager facing the same opponents, this time on the road. The pot one visitors to Anfield would be Inter Milan, yet another rematch following the Reds' late 1-0 win at the San Siro last season.
Further Italian opposition awaits from pot two, with the possibility of Roma coming up against their former goalkeeper Alisson, while Betis also feature in that pot. The simulation additionally predicts an exciting rematch from pot three against Galatasaray, alongside a journey to Lille.
Regarding pot four, there's a pair of play-off winners. Alongside the victor of Slovan Bratislava and Celje comes an encounter with a league phase debutant in the shape of either Hapoel Be'er Sheva of Israel or Sabah of Azerbaijan.