Champions League Draw: English Clubs Face Tough Tests
The Champions League league phase draw has been made – and it has handed English clubs some huge challenges.
Trent Alexander-Arnold will face his former club after his Real Madrid side were drawn against Liverpool. Manchester City will also meet Madrid in what promises to be a tough set of fixtures for the Premier League champions.
Elsewhere, Arsenal face a difficult road after being drawn against Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid. Tottenham will take on defending champions Paris St-Germain, while Chelsea have been paired with Barcelona. Newcastle also face a tough group with Barcelona, PSG and Benfica.
The draw ceremony was conducted by football legends Zlatan Ibrahimović and Kaká, marking the second season of UEFA’s new “league phase” format.
Here is how the English clubs were drawn:
- Liverpool: Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Eintracht Frankfurt, PSV Eindhoven, Marseille, Qarabag, Galatasaray.
- Manchester City: Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Villarreal, Napoli, Bodo/Glimt, Galatasaray, Monaco.
- Chelsea: Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Benfica, Atalanta, Ajax, Napoli, Pafos, Qarabag.
- Arsenal: Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Club Brugge, Olympiacos, Slavia Prague, Kairat Almaty, Athletic Bilbao.
- Tottenham: Borussia Dortmund, Paris St-Germain, Villarreal, Eintracht Frankfurt, Slavia Prague, Bodo/Glimt, Copenhagen, Monaco.
- Newcastle: Barcelona, Paris St-Germain, Benfica, Bayer Leverkusen, PSV Eindhoven, Marseille, Athletic Bilbao, Union SG.
Other key draws:
- Paris St-Germain: Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Atalanta, Bayer Leverkusen, Tottenham, Sporting, Newcastle, Athletic Club.
- Barcelona: PSG, Chelsea, Eintracht Frankfurt, Club Brugge, Olympiacos, Slavia Prague, Copenhagen, Newcastle.
- Real Madrid: Manchester City, Liverpool, Juventus, Benfica, Marseille, Olympiacos, Monaco, Kairat Almaty.
- Borussia Dortmund: Inter Milan, Manchester City, Villarreal, Juventus, Bodo/Glimt, Tottenham, Athletic Bilbao, Copenhagen.
- Bayern Munich: Chelsea, PSG, Club Brugge, Arsenal, Sporting, PSV, Union SG, Pafos.
- Inter Milan: Liverpool, Dortmund, Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Slavia Prague, Ajax, Kairat Almaty, Union SG.
The league phase kicks off later this year, with the final set to be played at the Puskas Arena in Budapest on 30 May 2026.