Arsenal host Madrid and head to Bayern in UCL League Phase
Thierry Henry pulling Arsenal's name out of the hat in the draw (Photo by Mustafa Yalcin/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Arsenal’s UEFA Champions League Group Phase fixtures for 2026/27 have been revealed, and they include some blockbuster fixtures.
The Gunners are aiming to get their hands on the European Cup for the first time in the club’s history, having come within inches last season, losing on penalties to Paris Saint-Germain.
Real Madrid at the Emirates
Arsenal host Madrid and head to Bayern in UCL League Phase
Declan Rice scoring two of the most ridiculous free kicks (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
The biggest standout fixture is Arsenal hosting Real Madrid at the Emirates.
Recently, Mikel Arteta’s side saw one of the club’s greatest ever nights at their modern home, beating the 15-time European Champions 3-0 in the first leg of the quarter-finals, the night when Declan Rice pulled off that pair of free-kicks.
Remarkably, Arsenal have still never lost a game against Los Blancos, and there’s also the added factor of Vinicius Jr coming to North London, having been heavily linked with a move to the Gunners over the summer, before choosing to sign a new contract at Madrid.
Arsenal visit the Allianz
Arsenal host Madrid and head to Bayern in UCL League Phase
Arsenal were knocked out in the quarter finals of the UCL in 2024, losing 1-0 at the Allianz to Bayern (Photo by Harry Langer/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
The other blockbuster fixture sees Arsenal face Bayern Munich for the second year in a row; however, this time the Premier League Champions head to Bavaria, where they’ve not had the greatest record in recent times, most recently losing 1-0 in the quarter-finals back in 2024, which saw Bayern advance 3-2 on aggregate.
Arsenal’s last win at the Allianz Arena came in 2013, when Arteta was captaining the side in a last-16 tie.
An early goal from Olivier Giroud and a very late goal from Laurent Koscielny saw the Gunners win 2-0, although they were still knocked out of the Champions League on away goals, while Bayern would go on to lift the trophy at Wembley.
League Phase fixtures
Arsenal: Real Madrid (H), Bayern Munich (A), Borussia Dortmund (H), Real Betis (A), Lille (H), Napoli (A), Sabah (H), Slavia Prague (A)
League phase dates
MW1: September 8-10
MW2: October 13-14
MW3: October 20-21
MW4: November 3-4
MW5: November 24-25
MW6: December 8-9
MW7: January 19-20
MW8: January 27