Liverpool face a challenging start in the new Champions League format, having been drawn into a group that includes defending champions Real Madrid among their eight opponents.
This format, which has replaced the previous system of four groups of eight teams, results in many of Europe’s top clubs meeting each other earlier in the tournament than usual.
For Liverpool, the standout fixture is their home game against Real Madrid. Alongside hosting the Spanish giants, Liverpool will also welcome Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen to Anfield.
Their group stage fixtures include away matches against RB Leipzig, AC Milan, and Girona.
Manchester City’s draw places them in matches against Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus away, while securing a home game against Inter Milan.
In contrast, Arsenal and Aston Villa have received more favorable draws. Arsenal, under the management of Mikel Arteta, will host PSG and travel to Inter Milan at San Siro. They are expected to be satisfied with their remaining fixtures.
Aston Villa, despite some fans hoping for high-profile matches, have a draw that offers a strong chance of advancing to the knockout stages.
Villa will play home games against Bayern Munich and Juventus and face away matches against RB Leipzig, Club Brugge, Young Boys, and Monaco.
The draw took place in Monaco, where the tournament’s all-time top scorer, Cristiano Ronaldo, was responsible for pressing the crucial button to automatically generate the fixtures.
Each team will face eight different opponents—four at home and four away—with teams from the same league and more than two teams from one country not being drawn together.
The new format features a single league table of 36 teams, replacing the previous group stage structure. Each team will play eight matches, up from the original six.
The top eight teams will advance directly to the round of 16, while those finishing between ninth and 24th place will enter a knockout playoff stage. The bottom 12 teams will be eliminated.
The specific dates, times, and order of each team’s fixtures will be announced on Saturday after the Europa League and Conference League draws have been made.
Champions League draw
Manchester City: Inter Milan (H), PSG (A), Club Bruges (H), Juventus (A), Feyenoord (H), Sporting Lisbon (A), Sparta Prague (H), Slovan Bratislava (A).
Arsenal: PSG (H), Inter Milan (A), Shakhtar Donetsk (H), Atalanta (A), Dinamo Zagreb (H), Sporting Lisbon (A), Monaco (H), Girona (A)
Liverpool: Real Madrid (H), Leipzig (A), Bayer Leverkusen (H), AC Milan (A), Lille (H), PSV (A), Bologna (H), Girona (A).
Aston Villa: Bayern Munich (H), RB Leizpig (A), Juventus (H), Club Bruges (A), Celtic (H), Young Boys (A), Bologna (H), Monaco (A)
Real Madrid: Dortmund (H), Liverpool (A), Milan (H), Atalanta (A), Salzburg (H), Lille (A), Stuttgart (H), Brest (A)
Barcelona: Bayern (H) and Dortmund (A) Atalanta (H), Benfica (A), Young Boys (H), Red Star (A), Brest (H), Monaco (A)
Atlético Madrid: Leipzig (H), PSG (A), Leverkusen (H), Benfica (A), Lille (H), Salzburg (A), Slovan Bratislava (H), Sparta Prague (A)
Bayern Munich: PSG (H), Barcelona (A), Benfica (H), Shakhtar Donetsk (A), Dinamo Zagreb (H), Feyenoord (A), Slovan Bratislava (H), Aston Villa (A)
Bayer Leverkusen: Inter Milan (H), Liverpool (A), Atlético (A), AC Milan (H), Salzburg (H), Feyenoord (A), Sparta Prague (H), Brest (A)
Borussia Dortmund: Barcelona (H), Real Madrid (A), Shakhtar (H), Brugge (A), Celtic (H), Dinamo Zagreb (A), Sturm Graz (H), Bologna (A)
Inter Milan: RB Leipzig (H), Arsenal (H), Leverkusen (A), Red Star (H), Young Boys (A), Monaco (H), Sparta Prague (A)
AC Milan: Liverpool (H), Real Madrid (A), Club Brugge (H), Leverkusen (A), Red Star (H), Dinamo Zagreb (A), Girona (H), Slovan Bratislava (A)
Juventus: Man City (H), Leipzig (A), Benfica (H), Club Brugge (A), PSV (H), Lille (A), Stuttgart (H) Aston Villa (A)
Paris Saint-Germain: Man City (H), Bayern (A), Atlético (H), Arsenal (A), PSV (H), Salzburg (A), Girona (H), Stuttgart (A)
Celtic: RB Leipzig (H), Dortmund (A), Club Brugge (H), Atalanta (A), Young Boys (H), Dinamo Zagreb (A), Slovan Bratislava (H), Aston Villa (A)
