Six-time European champions Liverpool will discover their eight Champions League opponents on Thursday
Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola at St James' Park.
Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola will lead his team into the Champions League this season(Image: Robin Jones - AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images)
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This season's Champions League holds a dual significance for Liverpool. It marks Andoni Iraola’s managerial debut in Europe's elite tournament and it offers the club a chance to secure their seventh title at Atletico Madrid’s Metropolitano Stadium – the venue where they claimed their 2019 Champions League title, with this year's final being held in the Spanish capital once again.
The roadmap for the 2026/2027 campaign will be laid out this Thursday, August 27, with the draw commencing at 5pm UK time. Under UEFA's 36-team league phase, the Reds will navigate eight initial fixtures. Their opponents will be selected evenly across the four seeding pots, with ties between domestic sides prohibited during this round.
Following Thursday's draw, the action on the pitch officially gets underway on September 8. In anticipation of the real thing we ran a simulated draw to outline Liverpool's path in the League Phase and it has thrown up some tasty match-ups.
Liverpool's simulated Champions League League Phase draw for 2026/2027:
Pot 1: Atletico Madrid (H) Barcelona (A)
Pot 2: Sporting CP (H) Roma (A)
Pot 3: RB Leipzig (H) Lille (A)
Pot 4: Dinamo Zagreb/Viking (H) Lens (A)
Beginning in pot one and Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid are no walk in the park for any team, even at Anfield. His resilient and aggressive side have faced the Reds five times since February 2020 alone, with Liverpool winning three of those games.
Overall, the Reds have triumphed in four of their nine games together. Simeone was also charged by UEFA for his conduct at Anfield in Liverpool's 3-2 win in September 2025, adding extra spice to any reunion.
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It's the other team in pot 1 that would likely cause concern, too. Barcelona have an array of tacking talent, including Lamine Yamal, Anthony Gordon and Raphina.
Liverpool have not played the La Liga giants since that famous night in May 2019, when Jurgen Klopp's inspired side launched a stunning comeback to beat the Spaniards 4-0 at Anfield to progress to the Champions League final.
That said, the Reds have only won four of their 10 encounters with Barcelona and the back-to-back Spanish champions would be a sizeable task, especially at the Camp Nou.
Diego Simeone is restrained by his staff at Anfield
Diego Simeone was at the heart of controversy against Liverpool at Anfield(Image: 2025 Marc Atkins)
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On to pot two, and Sporting CP, at Anfield, would represent a new task altogether, with Liverpool having never played the Portuguese side competitively. Then, there’s Italian powerhouse Roma away. Gian Piero Gasperini's side are back in the Champions League for the first time since 2019.
Liverpool have only beaten Roma three times in their seven meetings, with their last encounter a 4-2 defeat at the Stadio Olimpico in a 2018 Champions League semi-final, a tie the Reds ultimately won.
Pot three gives Reds fans ties against German side RB Leipzig at home and French outfit Lille away. Liverpool have won all three games they've played against the Bundesliga side, having faced them between 2021 and 2024. They're yet to concede a goal to the Germans.
Lille visited Anfield in January 2025 for a Champions League League Phase tie, which the Reds won 2-1. The French side have only beaten Liverpool once, 1-0 away in March 2010.
Barcelona and Spain superstar Lamine Yamal
Barcelona and Spain superstar Lamine Yamal (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
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Finally, pot four has thrown up Dinamo Zagreb or Viking at Anfield. Zagreb would also pose a new challenge for the Reds, as the two sides have never played a competitive fixture before.
The 26-time Croatian champions would certainly be no pushover after they pulled off a domestic double last season. This is also their 10th appearance in the Champions League, making them relatively experienced.
The Norwegian side Viking are back in the Champions League since 1992. Led by joint head coaches Bjarte Lunde Aarsheim and Morten Jensen, they earned a seat at Europe's top table by fending off Bodo/Glimt in last season's Eliteserien. Finally, French outfit Lens make up the eight teams and they're another team Liverpool have yet to face in their history.