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Champions League draw: Man City get PSG & Barca, Arsenal to play Real & Bayern

A silhouette of the Champions League trophy in front of a colourful background

A silhouette of the Champions League trophy in front of a colourful background

The big talking points from the Champions League draw include:

'A quick reunion with Rodri' as Man City draw Barcelona

Arsenal drawn against Real Madrid and Bayern Munich

Aston Villa and Man City will both play PSG and Barcelona

Liverpool avoid the big guns - 'a favourable outcome'

Bayern Munich among Man Utd opponents

It will all begin on 8 September.

Estadio MetropolitanoImage source, Getty Images

This season's Champions League final will be played at Estadio Metropolitano - home of Atletico Madrid.

The 70,000-capacity stadium was been awarded the men's showpiece in 2025 after Milan's San Siro was stripped of the honour.

Uefa decided to reopen bidding for the event amid concerns about refurbishment plans at the San Siro - and the match will now take place in the Spanish capital.

Madrid's Estadio Metropolitano last hosted the Champions League final in 2019, when Liverpool beat Tottenham.

Simon Stone

Man Utd reporter

It's the old and the new for Manchester United as far as their Champions League opponents are concerned.

Top of the list has to be Bayern Munich.

Any mention of those two sides immediately congers memories of that dramatic final triumph in 1999; that goal by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Sir Alex Ferguson’s famous ‘Football, Bloody Hell’ comment.

But their shared history is more than that. It's Rafael da Silva's red card and Arjen Robben's late goal at Old Trafford in 2010 that took Bayern through and left Ferguson seething. It was the end of the road in David Moyes' only Champions League campaign as United boss. It's Harry Kane scoring in a 4-3 thriller to defeat a team then managed by Erik ten Hag.

United have history with Sporting Lisbon - beyond just signing Cristiano Ronaldo from them. Michael Carrick scored twice in a 7-1 win against Roma in 2007. Atletico Madrid knocked them out in 2022. Marcus Rashford scored a hat-trick in a 5-0 win over RB Leipzig. Wayne Rooney got sent off against Villarreal in 2005.

But against Como and Sabah, there is nothing.

Both are surely must-win games. Sabah have to travel across an entire continent.

As for Como, the history there is Cesc Fabregas covering Ferguson in pizza after the 'Battle of the Buffet' with Arsenal at Old Trafford in 2004.

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PSG with another clash against Villa. That will be a thrilling evening at Villa Park. Bring it on!

Rayyan, Solihull

Matchday 1: 8-10 September

Matchday 2: 13-14 October

Matchday 3: 20-21 October

Matchday 4: 3-4 November

Matchday 5: 24-25 November

Matchday 6: 8-9 December

Matchday 7: 19-20 January

Matchday 8: 27 January

Alex Howell

Arsenal reporter

Arsenal will have some big matches to navigate in the league phase of the Champions League if they are to be as dominant as they were last season.

The Gunners will face Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund at home and travel to play Bayern Munich away during this stage of the competition.

Arsenal had a 100% record in last season’s league phase but will have to beat three of the most recognisable sides in the tournament to repeat that this time.

The rest of the fixtures for Arsenal, although tough, will see Mikel Arteta’s side go into them as favourites.

The Gunners lost to Real Betis in pre-season but did not have their full squad back for that match so will be looking to get a win when they travel to Seville to take on Betis in the Champions League.

Arsenal also take on Lille and Champions League newcomers Sabah at home and play Napoli and Slavia Prague away.

Here is who the Premier League teams got:

Liverpool will play: Atletico Madrid (home), Inter Milan (away), Porto (home), Club Brugge (away), Villarreal (home), Fenerbahce (away), Lens (home), LASK (away)

Aston Villa will play: PSG (home), Barcelona (away), Borussia Dortmund (home), Club Brugge (away), Fenerbahce (home), Galatasaray (away), Viking (home), Slavia Prague (away)

Manchester City will play: PSG (home), Barcelona (away), Sporting Club (home), Porto (away), Napoli (home), Leipzig (away), AEK Athens (home), Lens (away)

Manchester United will play: Bayern Munich (home), Atletico Madrid (away), Roma (home), Sporting Club (away), Leipzig (home), Villarreal (away), Sabah (home), Como (away)

Arsenal will play: Real Madrid (home), Bayern Munich (away), Borussia Dortmund (home), Real Betis (away), Lille (home), Napoli (away), Sabah (home), Slavia Prague (away)

Which fixtures catch your eye?

CL draw

CL draw

And finally... SK Slovan Bratislava will face: Inter Milan (home), PSG (away), Real Betis (home), Roma (away), Shakhtar (home), Lille (away), Stuttgart (home), LASK (away)

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I’m a United fan. We're not ready for Champions League.

Alec

LASK have drawn: Liverpool (home), Real Madrid (away), Porto (home), Sporting CP (away), Fenerbahce (home), Bodo/Glimt (away), Slovan Bratislava (home), AEK Athens (away)

Norwegian side Viking FK will play: Bayern Munich (home), Atletico Madrid (away), PSV (home), Aston Villa (away), Feyenoord (home), Napoli (away), Sabah (home), Stuttgart (away)

Serie A side Como have drawn: PSG (home), Barcelona (away), Manchester United (home), Real Betis (away), RB Leipzig (home), Feyenoord (away), AEK Athens (home), Lens (away)

French side RC Lens have drawn: Man City (home), Liverpool (away), Sporting CP (home), Club Brugge (away), Bodo/Glimt (home), RB Leipzig (away), Como (home), Slavia Prague (away)

AEK Athens will play: Real Madrid (home) Man City (away) Roma (home) Dortmund (away) Galatasaray (home) Shakhtar (away) LASK (home) Como (away)

Sabah have drawn: Barcelona (home), Arsenal (away), Borussia Dortmund (home), Manchester United (away), Napoli (home), Villarreal (away), Slavia Prague (home), Viking (away)

German side Stuttgart will face: Atletico Madrid (home), Inter Milan (away), Club Brugge (home), PSV (away), Lille (home), Galatasaray (away), Viking (home) Slovan Bratislava (away)

Up next Slavia Prague have drawn: Arsenal (home), Bayern Munich (away), Aston Villa (home), Porto (away), Villarreal (home), Fenerbahce (away), Lens (home), Sabah (away)

Time for Pot 4 now!

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