The 2026-27 Champions League campaign will culminate in a final at the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid on June 5, 2027. Ahead of that, the league phase draw has set the stage for a series of high-profile encounters, with back-to-back champions Paris St-Germain scheduled to face Premier League sides Manchester City and Aston Villa, alongside five-time winners Barcelona.
PSG will host Barcelona at the Parc des Princes, while their schedule includes challenging away trips to Villa Park and Manchester. Meanwhile, Premier League champions Arsenal have been drawn to host 15-time winners Real Madrid at the Emirates Stadium, with an additional away fixture against Bayern Munich. Mikel Arteta’s squad, who finished as runners-up to PSG last season, will also face Borussia Dortmund, Real Betis, Lille, Napoli, Azerbaijan’s Sabah, and Slavia Prague.
Enzo Maresca’s Manchester City side will welcome PSG to the Etihad Stadium and travel to the Nou Camp to face Barcelona. That fixture marks a reunion with Rodri, the Spanish World Cup winner who completed a £65m transfer to the Catalan club this summer. City will also encounter former midfielder Kevin de Bruyne when Napoli visit, with further matches against Sporting, Porto, RB Leipzig, AEK Athens, and Lens.
Aston Villa, returning to the competition, will host PSG and Dortmund while traveling to face Barcelona and Galatasaray. Their remaining fixtures include matches against Club Brugge, Fenerbahce, Viking, and Slavia Prague. Manchester United, back after a two-year absence, are set to meet Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid, Roma, Sporting, Leipzig, Villarreal, Sabah, and Como. Liverpool’s schedule features home games against Atletico, Porto, Villarreal, and Lens, with away trips to Inter Milan, Brugge, Fenerbahce, and LASK.
League Phase Fixtures for Premier League Sides
- Arsenal: Real Madrid (home), Bayern Munich (away), Borussia Dortmund (home), Real Betis (away), Lille (home), Napoli (away), Sabah (home), Slavia Prague (away)
- Aston Villa: PSG (home), Barcelona (away), Borussia Dortmund (home), Club Brugge (away), Fenerbahce (home), Galatasaray (away), Viking (home), Slavia Prague (away)
- Liverpool: Atletico Madrid (home), Inter Milan (away), Porto (home), Club Brugge (away), Villarreal (home), Fenerbahce (away), Lens (home), LASK (away)
- Manchester City: PSG (home), Barcelona (away), Sporting Club (home), Porto (away), Napoli (home), Leipzig (away), AEK Athens (home), Lens (away)
- Manchester United: Bayern Munich (home), Atletico Madrid (away), Roma (home), Sporting Club (away), Leipzig (home), Villarreal (away), Sabah (home), Como (away)
Competition Format and Schedule
The league phase commences on September 8, 2026, with the final round of matches concluding on January 27, 2027. The full schedule is expected to be released this Saturday. Each of the 36 participating teams will play eight distinct opponents—four at home and four away.
The top eight teams in the final standings will secure automatic qualification for the last 16. Clubs finishing between ninth and 24th will enter a two-legged knockout play-off for a chance to advance, while those finishing 25th or lower will be eliminated from European competition entirely. Last season, Arsenal topped the league phase with 24 points, followed by Bayern Munich and Liverpool. PSG eventually secured their second consecutive title by defeating Arsenal in the final, while Liverpool exited in the quarter-finals. The report also notes that liverpool were third – behind second-placed Bayern Munich – with 18 points while Tottenham finished one point behind in fourth. The report also notes that chelsea and Manchester City also qualified directly for the last 16 after finishing sixth and eighth respectively while Newcastle finished 12th.
Important Details
- The report also notes that how does the league phase work.
