UEFA Champions League 2025-26: Exciting Matchups and Storylines Await

Champions League Returns with Thrilling Draw

The UEFA Champions League is back, and Thursday's draw in Monaco has set the stage for an exhilarating season. With a mix of historic rivalries and emotional returns, the 2025-26 campaign is poised to deliver captivating narratives both on and off the field.

PSG Faces Tough Competition

Defending champions Paris Saint-Germain have a challenging start to their title defense. Under the guidance of Luis Enrique, they will host Bayern Munich and travel to Camp Nou to face Barcelona, a match filled with historical significance and intense emotions.

PSG's group also includes Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United, Atalanta, Sporting Lisbon, Bayer Leverkusen, and Athletic Bilbao.

Club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, present at the draw, expressed confidence: "We have moved on from last season. Today, we are the champions, but everyone aspires to take that title from us."

With memories of a tense league phase from the previous season still fresh, PSG understands that there are no easy matches ahead.

Liverpool and Real Madrid: A Historic Reunion

Liverpool's manager Arne Slot is eagerly anticipating the return of Real Madrid to Anfield. Last season, Liverpool surprised the 2024 European champions with a 2-0 victory during the league phase. This time, the match is even more significant with Trent Alexander-Arnold facing his former team.

Slot described the encounter as "something special" and assured that the world will be watching closely.

Liverpool's journey will be challenging, as they also face Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan, Eintracht Frankfurt, Marseille, PSV Eindhoven, Qarabag, and a tough away match against Galatasaray. After last season's exit in the last-16 to PSG, the Reds are determined to prove themselves.

Manchester City Encounters Familiar Foes

For Manchester City, the draw promises plenty of drama. They will host Borussia Dortmund and Napoli, face Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu, and travel to Monaco, Villarreal, and Norway's Bodo/Glimt.

A notable storyline is the return of Kevin De Bruyne, who left City in June after a decade of success, now playing for Napoli. Fans can expect a warm welcome and possibly some emotional moments.

City's squad, still riding high from their 2023 victory, now faces a significant test of their depth and determination.

Real Madrid Under Xabi Alonso's Leadership

With Xabi Alonso at the helm, Real Madrid's fixtures are rich with narrative. A home match against Manchester City recalls their past knockout battles, while a trip to Anfield allows Alonso to revisit a stadium where he once played.

Real's group also includes Juventus, Benfica, Marseille, Olympiakos, Monaco, and Kairat Almaty, presenting a mix of glamour and potential challenges.

For Alonso, this season will be a test of whether his youthful, attacking squad can maintain the ruthless edge that has characterized Real Madrid in European competitions.

The English Contingent: Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs, and Newcastle

Arsenal, who reached the semi-finals last season, will face Bayern at home and Inter away, along with Atletico Madrid, Bilbao, and a challenging trip to Kairat Almaty.

Chelsea will host Barcelona at Stamford Bridge, while also facing Bayern, Napoli, and Atalanta. They will also welcome the Cypriot team Pafos, marking a significant moment for the underdogs.

Tottenham has a tough away match against PSG, along with fixtures against Dortmund, Villarreal, and Copenhagen.

Newcastle United, still finding their footing among Europe's elite, will host Barcelona, travel to PSG, and face Leverkusen, Marseille, and Bilbao, promising an exciting season for their supporters.

Newcomers Making Their Mark

This season introduces Kairat Almaty from Kazakhstan and Pafos from Cyprus, both underdogs making headlines. Almaty, who triumphed over Celtic in a thrilling penalty shootout, will host Real Madrid and Arsenal, while Pafos will face Bayern Munich and visit Stamford Bridge.

For fans in Kazakhstan and Cyprus, these matches represent more than just football; they are moments of history.

Final Destination: Budapest

UEFA has announced that the final will take place in Budapest on May 30, 2026, with an early kick-off at 6:00 PM local time. For the 36 clubs embarking on this journey, the road is long and filled with challenges, offering moments of joy and heartbreak.

As Slot remarked, "It is a very challenging draw, but we anticipated that it would be."

For fans, that is precisely the excitement of the tournament.

Key UEFA Champions League Fixtures

Here are the fixtures for leading clubs in the league phase of this season's UEFA Champions League following Thursday's draw:

PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN (FRA)

Bayern Munich (h), Barcelona (a), Atalanta (h), Bayer Leverkusen (a), Tottenham (h), Sporting Lisbon (a), Newcastle (h), Athletic Bilbao (a)

REAL MADRID (ESP)

Manchester City (h), Liverpool (a), Juventus (h), Benfica (a), Marseille (h), Olympiakos (a), Monaco (h), Kairat Almaty (a)

MANCHESTER CITY (ENG)

Borussia Dortmund (h), Real Madrid (a), Bayer Leverkusen (h), Villarreal (a), Napoli (h), Bodo/Glimt (a), Galatasaray (h), Monaco (a)

BAYERN MUNICH (GER)

Chelsea (h), Paris Saint-Germain (a), Club Brugge (h), Arsenal (a), Sporting Lisbon (h), PSV Eindhoven (a), Union Saint-Gilloise (h), Pafos (a)

LIVERPOOL (ENG)

Real Madrid (h), Inter Milan (a), Atletico Madrid (h), Eintracht Frankfurt (a), PSV Eindhoven (h), Marseille (a), Qarabag (h), Galatasaray (a)

INTER MILAN (ITA)

Liverpool (h), Borussia Dortmund (a), Arsenal (h), Atletico Madrid (a), Slavia Prague (h), Ajax (a), Kairat Almaty (h), Union Saint-Gilloise (a)

CHELSEA (ENG)

Barcelona (h), Bayern Munich (a), Benfica (h), Atalanta (a), Ajax (h), Napoli (a), Pafos (h), Qarabag (a)

BORUSSIA DORTMUND (GER)

Inter Milan (h), Manchester City (a), Villarreal (h), Juventus (a), Bodo/Glimt (h), Tottenham (a), Athletic Bilbao (h), FC Copenhagen (a)

BARCELONA (ESP)

Paris Saint-Germain (h), Chelsea (a), Eintracht Frankfurt (h), Club Brugge (a), Olympiakos (h), Slavia Prague (a), FC Copenhagen (h), Newcastle (a)

ARSENAL (ENG)

Bayern Munich (h), Inter Milan (a), Atletico Madrid (h), Club Brugge (a), Olympiakos (h), Slavia Prague (a), Kairat Almaty (h), Athletic Bilbao (a)

ATLETICO MADRID (ESP)

Inter Milan (h), Liverpool (a), Eintracht Frankfurt (h), Arsenal (a), Bodo/Glimt (h), PSV Eindhoven (a), Union Saint-Gilloise (h), Galatasaray (a)

JUVENTUS (ITA)

Borussia Dortmund (h), Real Madrid (a), Benfica (h), Villarreal (a), Sporting Lisbon (h), Bodo/Glimt (a), Pafos (h), Monaco (a)

TOTTENHAM (ENG)

Borussia Dortmund (h), Paris Saint-Germain (a), Villarreal (h), Eintracht Frankfurt (a), Slavia Prague (h), Bodo/Glimt (a), FC Copenhagen (h), Monaco (a)

NAPOLI (ITA)

Chelsea (h), Manchester City (a), Eintracht Frankfurt (h), Benfica (a), Sporting Lisbon (h), PSV Eindhoven (a), Qarabag (h), FC Copenhagen (a)

NEWCASTLE (ENG)

Barcelona (h), Paris Saint-Germain (a), Benfica (h), Bayer Leverkusen (a), PSV Eindhoven (h), Marseille (a), Athletic Bilbao (h), Union Saint-Gilloise (a)