The draw for the league phase has thrown together several of the continent’s top sides at an early stage of the competition
The Champions League draw has been revealedopen image in gallery
The Champions League draw has been revealed (REUTERS)
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The draw for the 2025/26 Champions League league phase has taken place in Monaco, with several of Europe’s biggest clubs drawn to face off.
The new-look league phase will take place across eight matchweeks from September to January with each team playing eight fixtures.
The draw has given fans five particular exciting fixtures, including Trent Alexander-Arnold’s Anfield return and a reunion for Luis Enrique.
Paris Saint-Germain vs Barcelona
The standout fixture in the league phase will likely be PSG’s meeting with Barcelona, with plenty of fans having hoped that this exact match would be the final last season.
This match pits Europe’s most entertaining sides against each other, with plenty of storylines including Luis Enrique facing his old club and two drastically different styles facing off, and even with less jeopardy it is one fixture that is guaranteed to attract a big audience.
Luis Enrique will face his old club as the holders travel to Barcelonaopen image in gallery
Luis Enrique will face his old club as the holders travel to Barcelona (Getty Images)
Real Madrid vs Liverpool
These two sides faced off in the league phase last season, with Liverpool running out 2-0 winners as they stormed the league phase table. However, this season’s meeting will have added tension as Trent Alexander-Arnold faces his old club, potentially returning to Anfield for the first time since his move.
With Madrid having made changes under Xabi Alonso and Liverpool adapting with new signings, this is another match that is sure to entertain the neutral.
Liverpool ran out 2-0 winners in this same fixture last seasonopen image in gallery
Liverpool ran out 2-0 winners in this same fixture last season (Getty Images)
Arsenal vs Bayern Munich
Arsenal and Bayern have created something of a rivalry across their various knockout-round meetings over the last decade or so, though it was Bayern who won the most recent meeting, beating the Gunners in the quarter-finals in 2024/25.
Though this meeting comes early in the season, it pits a settled Arsenal side against a developing Bayern team, with plenty of chance for Arsenal to get some revenge on their Bavarian tormentors.
Bayern beat Arsenal at the quarter-final stage in 2023/24open image in gallery
Bayern beat Arsenal at the quarter-final stage in 2023/24 (Getty Images)
Real Madrid vs Manchester City
This pairing is another that has been thrown together a ridiculous number of times in recent seasons, with Los Blancos knocking out City in the knockout play-offs round last term.
That 6-3 win was a damaging one for City but Madrid later fell to Arsenal, and with both clubs looking to prove a point this season amid uncertainty over how they will fare, we could see fireworks again between these two recent giants.
Mbappe got a hat-trick in the second leg of a 6-3 aggregate win for Madrid last seasonopen image in gallery
Mbappe got a hat-trick in the second leg of a 6-3 aggregate win for Madrid last season (Getty Images)
PSG vs Bayern Munich
Any match involving the holders against another big European side is sure to attract plenty of neutrals. While we’ve seen the rise of PSG and their undeniable quality, Bayern remain something of an unknown quantity this season, though if they can improve then they are always capable of challenging the best sides.
Neutrals could be treated to a great game between these two sides if the Bavarians can catch PSG at the right time, though if it comes too early then it could be lop-sided in PSG’s favour.
This match is a rematch of the 2020 final, which Bayern narrowly wonopen image in gallery
This match is a rematch of the 2020 final, which Bayern narrowly won (Getty Images)