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 two Declan Rice free kicks 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.
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The Gunners fell short against Dortmund during the Emirates Cup in a 3-2 defeat, where Ethan Nwaneri and Viktor Gyokeres got on the scoresheet. Arsenal last faced Dortmund in the group stage of the competition in 2014, where the sides each earned a 2-0 win, with Yaya Sanogo and Alexis Sanchez scoring.
Arsenal will also have the opportunity for some pre-season revenge against Real Betis, having fallen to defeat against the La Liga team. Arteta and co will make the trip to Seville looking to earn three points after Rodrigo Riquelme, Pablo Fornals and Nelson Deossa ensured Piero Hincapie's goal counted for little in Dublin.
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.
Viktor Gyokeres
Viktor Gyokeres of Arsenal celebrates scoring his team’s second goal against Borussia Dortmund
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The league phase of Europe's top tournament begins on Tuesday September 8, and Arsenal's precise match dates and kick-off times will be released in the coming days.
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 [Monaco]; it's a full circle moment."