Arsenal have discovered their Champions League opponents as they look to go one better in the competition after reaching last season's final
Arsenal have discovered their Champions League opponents
Arsenal have discovered their Champions League opponents
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Arsenal will face Real Madrid in the Champions League group stage this season. The Gunners have been drawn against the Spanish giants at the Emirates, as well as Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Real Betis, Lille, Napoli, Sabah and Slavia Praha.
Mikel Arteta's side were placed in pot one for the draw in Monaco, and faced the prospect of playing two teams from each of the four pots. They certainly picked two Champions League goliaths from pot one.
The Premier League champions face familiar foes from recent European campaigns, after knocking out Real Madrid in 2025 with the help of a Declan Rice free kick and having faced German champions Bayern Munich in two of the last three seasons.
Arsenal will take on Vincent Kompany's side at the Allianz Arena. They also face German opposition in Dortmund, but will welcome Niko Kovac's side to London.
The Gunners will have the opportunity for some revenge against Real Betis, having fallen to defeat against the La Liga team during pre-season. Arteta and co will make the trip to Seville looking to earn three points.
Arsenal will also welcome Ligue 1 side Lille and Sabah, a team founded in 2017 from Azerbaijan, to the Emirates. Trips to Napoli and Slavia Praha are also on the agenda.
Arsenal made it all the way to the Champions League final last season, falling short on penalties as Paris Saint-Germain claimed the title by the narrowest of margins. Kai Havertz had given the north London side the lead before Ousmane Dembele's spotkick levelled the scores in the second period to eventually force the shootout.
The north London side also fell short against PSG in 2024/25, losing to the Ligue 1 champions over two legs at the semi-final stage.
Also at the draw, Thierry Henry was awarded the UEFA president's award.
"I wanted to say thank you to the president for thinking about me," he said. "I received this trophy where I started; it's a full circle moment."
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