Key Takeaways:
- The Champions League main phase draw took place last evening in Monaco, determining group opponents for all 36 clubs
- Real Madrid will renew rivalries against both Manchester City and Liverpool, with a highly anticipated visit to Anfield where Trent Alexander-Arnold is set to return
- Fixture dates range from 16th September to 28th January, culminating in the final on 30th May in Budapest at 18:00
Format and Draw Process
The Champions League group stage draw unfolded in Monaco this evening, where 36 participating teams were allocated into four pots aligned to their UEFA club coefficients. Football icons Kaká and Zlatan Ibrahimović conducted the manual team draw, ahead of a computer algorithm assigning fixtures, home and away pairings, as well as specific matchups.
Tournament regulations stipulate that clubs from the same national association cannot be drawn against each other at this stage, and that no team will face more than two sides from the same country.
Headline Fixtures
The draw has thrown up several high-profile clashes for the main phase. Most notably, Real Madrid, the competition’s most successful club, are to face long-time adversaries Manchester City and Liverpool. Notably, Los Blancos will play away at Anfield, with Trent Alexander-Arnold making his return after a controversial transfer to the Santiago Bernabéu.
The series between Real Madrid and Manchester City continues, marking the fifth consecutive Champions League season in which these two heavyweights will meet. Defending champions Paris Saint-Germain have been handed the challenge of travelling to Spanish title-holders Barcelona, as well as facing Bundesliga winners Bayern Munich at home.
✅ Home and away opponents for Pot 1 teams 🏠✈️#UCLdraw pic.twitter.com/mWi7lwxw3I
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) August 28, 2025
Chelsea, the Club World Cup winners, will entertain Barcelona at Stamford Bridge and head to Germany to face Bayern Munich. Meanwhile, last season’s finalists Inter have been matched with Premier League representatives Liverpool and Arsenal, both of whom must travel to the San Siro.
Serie A champions Napoli are also dealt a demanding schedule, which includes a home tie against Chelsea and an away match with Manchester City.
Match Schedule and Broadcast Information
Fixtures from the opening round are scheduled between 16th and 18th September, with the initial stage running until 28th January. The comprehensive schedule will be released on Saturday. The showpiece final is set for 30th May at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest, kicking off at 19:00.
Full Fixture List by Team
| Team | Fixtures |
|---|---|
| Bayern Munich | Chelsea (home), PSG (away), Club Brugge (home), Arsenal (away), Sporting CP (home), PSV (away), Union Saint-Gilloise (home), Pafos (away) |
| Chelsea | Barcelona (home), Bayern (away), Benfica (home), Atalanta (away), Ajax (home), Napoli (away), Pafos (home), Qarabag (away) |
| Real Madrid | Manchester City (home), Liverpool (away), Juventus (home), Benfica (away), Marseille (home), Olympiacos (away), Monaco (home), Kairat (away) |
| Inter | Liverpool (home), Borussia Dortmund (away), Arsenal (home), Atlético (away), Slavia Prague (home), Ajax (away), Kairat (home), Union Saint-Gilloise (away) |
| Borussia Dortmund | Inter (home), Manchester City (away), Villarreal (home), Juventus (away), Bodø/Glimt (home), Tottenham (away), Athletic Bilbao (home), Copenhagen (away) |
| Liverpool | Real Madrid (home), Inter (away), Atlético Madrid (home), Eintracht Frankfurt (away), PSV (home), Marseille (away), Qarabag (home), Galatasaray (away) |
| Barcelona | PSG (home), Chelsea (away), Eintracht Frankfurt (home), Club Brugge (away), Olympiacos (home), Slavia Prague (away), Copenhagen (home), Newcastle (away) |
| PSG | Bayern (home), Barcelona (away), Atalanta (home), Bayer Leverkusen (away), Tottenham (home), Sporting (away), Newcastle (home), Athletic Bilbao (away) |
| Manchester City | Borussia Dortmund (home), Real Madrid (away), Bayer Leverkusen (home), Villarreal (away), Napoli (home), Bodø/Glimt (away), Galatasaray (home), Monaco (away) |
| Bayer Leverkusen | PSG (home), Manchester City (away), Villarreal (home), Benfica (away), PSV (home), Olympiacos (away), Newcastle (home), Copenhagen (away) |
| Arsenal | Bayern (home), Inter (away), Atlético (home), Club Brugge (away), Olympiacos (home), Slavia Prague (away), Kairat (home), Athletic Bilbao (away) |
| Atalanta | Chelsea (home), PSG (away), Club Brugge (home), Eintracht Frankfurt (away), Slavia Prague (home), Marseille (away), Athletic Bilbao (home), Union Saint-Gilloise (away) |
| Benfica | Real Madrid (home), Chelsea (away), Bayer Leverkusen (home), Juventus (away), Napoli (home), Ajax (away), Qarabag (home), Newcastle (away) |
| Club Brugge | Barcelona (home), Bayern (away), Arsenal (home), Atalanta (away), Marseille (home), Sporting (away), Monaco (home), Kairat (away) |
| Eintracht Frankfurt | Liverpool (home), Barcelona (away), Atalanta (home), Atlético (away), Tottenham (home), Napoli (away), Galatasaray (home), Qarabag (away) |
| Juventus | Borussia Dortmund (home), Real Madrid (away), Benfica (home), Villarreal (away), Sporting (home), Bodø/Glimt (away), Pafos (home), Monaco (away) |
| Atlético Madrid | Inter (home), Liverpool (away), Eintracht Frankfurt (home), Arsenal (away), Bodø/Glimt (home), PSV (home), Union Saint-Gilloise (home), Galatasaray (away) |
| Villarreal | Manchester City (home), Borussia Dortmund (away), Juventus (home), Bayer Leverkusen (away), Ajax (home), Tottenham (away), Copenhagen (home), Pafos (away) |
| Marseille | Liverpool (home), Real Madrid (away), Atalanta (home), Club Brugge (away), Ajax (home), Sporting (away), Newcastle (home), Union Saint-Gilloise (away) |
| Tottenham | Borussia Dortmund (home), PSG (away), Villarreal (home), Eintracht (away), Slavia (home), Bodø (away), Copenhagen (home), Monaco (away) |
| Bodø/Glimt | Manchester City (home), Borussia Dortmund (away), Juventus (home), Atlético (away), Tottenham (home), Slavia Prague (away), Monaco (home), Galatasaray (away) |
| Sporting CP | PSG (home), Bayern (away), Club Brugge (home), Juventus (away), Marseille (home), Napoli (away), Kairat (home), Athletic Bilbao (away) |
| Olympiacos | Real (home), Borussia Dortmund (away), Juventus (home), Atlético (away), Tottenham (home), Slavia (away), Monaco (home), Galatasaray (away) |
| Ajax | Inter (home), Chelsea (away), Benfica (home), Villarreal (away), Olympiacos (home), Marseille (away), Galatasaray (home), Qarabag (away) |
| Slavia Prague | Barcelona (home), Inter (away), Arsenal (home), Atalanta (away), Bodø (home), Tottenham (away), Athletic Bilbao (home), Pafos (away) |
| PSV | Bayern (home), Liverpool (away), Atlético (home), Bayer Leverkusen (away), Napoli (home), Olympiacos (away), Union Saint-Gilloise (home), Newcastle (away) |
| Napoli | Chelsea (home), Manchester City (away), Eintracht (home), Benfica (away), Sporting (home), PSV (away), Qarabag (home), Copenhagen (away) |
| Athletic Bilbao | PSG (home), Borussia Dortmund (away), Arsenal (home), Atalanta (away), Sporting (home), Slavia (away), Qarabag (home), Newcastle (away) |
| Qarabag | Chelsea (home), Liverpool (away), Eintracht (home), Benfica (away), Ajax (home), Napoli (away), Copenhagen (home), Athletic Bilbao (away) |
| Monaco | Manchester City (home), Real Madrid (away), Juventus (home), Club Brugge (away), Tottenham (home), Bodø (away), Galatasaray (home), Pafos (away) |
| Galatasaray | Liverpool (home), Manchester City (away), Atlético (home), Eintracht (away), Bodø (home), Ajax (away), Union Saint-Gilloise (home), Monaco (away) |
| Newcastle | Barcelona (home), PSG (away), Benfica (home), Bayer (away), PSV (home), Marseille (away), Athletic Bilbao (home), Union Saint-Gilloise (away) |
| Union Saint-Gilloise | Inter (home), Bayern (away), Atalanta (home), Atlético (away), Marseille (home), PSV (away), Newcastle (home), Galatasaray (away) |
| Pafos | Bayern (home), Chelsea (away), Villarreal (home), Juventus (away), Slavia (home), Olympiacos (away), Monaco (home), Kairat (away) |
| Copenhagen | Bayern (home), Barcelona (away), Bayer (home), Villarreal (away), Napoli (home), Tottenham (away), Kairat (home), Qarabag (away) |
| Kairat | Real (home), Inter (away), Club Brugge (home), Arsenal (away), Olympiacos (home), Sporting (away), Pafos (home), Copenhagen (away) |
