UEFA Champions League (UCL) draw on Thursday set the stage for thrilling encounters in the revamped league phase, with defending champions Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) pitted against powerhouses Bayern Munich and Barcelona.
The expanded 36-team format, introduced last season, promises intense competition across eight matchdays.
PSG’s challenging slate includes Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United, Atalanta, and Bayer Leverkusen, with each team playing four home and four away matches.
Real Madrid, with a record 15 UCL titles, will lock horns with Manchester City for the fifth consecutive season and face Liverpool on their turf, a significant matchup for former Reds star Trent Alexander-Arnold. Madrid’s fixtures also include a home game against Juventus and a historic trip to Kazakhstan to meet debutants Kairat Almaty, who upset Celtic in the playoffs.
Liverpool, last season’s league phase leaders, will take on Inter Milan, Atlético Madrid, and Eintracht Frankfurt.
Bayern Munich’s draw features clashes with Chelsea, Arsenal, and Club Brugge, while Manchester City will confront Borussia Dortmund, Napoli, Villarreal, and Leverkusen.
“The new format ensures every match is a blockbuster,” a UEFA spokesperson remarked.
Inter Milan, last season’s finalists, will host Liverpool and Arsenal while traveling to Atlético Madrid and Dortmund. Barcelona, La Liga champions and semi-finalists last year, will welcome PSG and face Chelsea and Newcastle away.
Arsenal, seeking to overcome their historical struggles against Bayern Munich—having lost their last five UCL meetings, including two heavy defeats in 2017—will also face Atlético Madrid and Club Brugge.
The Premier League boasts six teams: Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea, Newcastle, and Europa League winners Tottenham Hotspur.
Spurs will tackle PSG, Dortmund, and Villarreal, while Newcastle, returning to the UCL after over two decades, face a daunting lineup including Barcelona, PSG, Benfica, and Leverkusen.
“This draw is a massive test for us,” a Newcastle representative noted.
Napoli, Serie A champions, will battle Chelsea, Manchester City, Frankfurt, and Benfica.
The league phase kicks off on September 16 and runs through January 28, determining which teams advance to the knockout stage starting in February.
The final is set for May 30 at Budapest’s Puskás Aréna.
In other developments, Chelsea were celebrated as the first club to secure all five major UEFA trophies: the Champions League, Europa League, Conference League, Super Cup, and Cup Winners’ Cup
Additionally, former Sweden star Zlatan Ibrahimović was awarded the UEFA President’s Award for his remarkable contributions to the sport.
