Champions League Draw: PSG to Face Barcelona, Manchester City, and Aston Villa in League Phase

Two-time defending champions Paris Saint-Germain have been drawn against Barcelona, Manchester City, and Aston Villa among their eight matches in the league phase of this season’s Champions League, following the draw on Thursday.

PSG, who secured the trophy by defeating Arsenal on penalties in Budapest in May, will host Barcelona, Roma, Galatasaray, and Slovan Bratislava at home. Under the guidance of Luis Enrique, the French side will travel to England twice to face Manchester City and Aston Villa. PSG previously overcame both teams during their run to the 2025 Champions League title and also triumphed over Aston Villa in the UEFA Super Cup in Austria earlier this month. Additionally, the French champions will travel to Spain to play Villarreal and to Italy to face a Como side managed by Cesc Fabregas.

Reflecting on the draw, Luis Enrique told reporters earlier on Thursday, “I can’t say anything bad about the Champions League, but I won’t be watching the draw. I will be relaxing and going out on my bike, then we’ll take a look at the menu. But I would sign up for the same result as in the last two years.” PSG are aiming to become European champions for a third consecutive year, a feat achieved in the last 50 years only by Real Madrid between 2016 and 2018.

The opening matches of the league phase will take place between Tuesday, September 8, and Thursday, September 10, with the final fixtures scheduled for late January. UEFA is anticipated to release the complete fixture schedule on Saturday.

Last season’s runners-up and Premier League champions Arsenal will host Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Lille, and Sabah, the Azerbaijani club that advanced through four two-legged qualifying rounds to reach the league phase for the first time. The Gunners face a demanding away schedule against Bayern Munich, Real Betis, Napoli, and Slavia Prague.

Liverpool, managed by Andoni Iraola, will host Atletico Madrid, Porto, Villarreal, and Lens, while playing away against Inter Milan, Club Brugge, Fenerbahce, and Austrian league phase debutants LASK. Manchester United, starting outside the top seeding pot, face home games against Bayern Munich, Roma, RB Leipzig, and Sabah, alongside tough away fixtures against Atletico Madrid, Sporting of Portugal, Villarreal, and Como.

Other notable fixtures include Manchester City traveling to play Barcelona, and Real Madrid hosting Inter Milan. Last season’s Europa League winners, Aston Villa, will visit Barcelona and host Borussia Dortmund. Unai Emery’s team will also face Turkish giants Galatasaray and Fenerbahce, with the latter returning to the Champions League proper for the first time since the 2008/09 season following a playoff victory over Lyon.

Newcomers to this season's competition include Como, who have disrupted the traditional hierarchy in Serie A, and Sabah, alongside LASK, who secured their spot after a remarkable comeback win against Celtic in the playoffs. Norwegian champions Viking, hailing from Stavanger, have also reached the Champions League proper for the first time and face a glittering fixture schedule featuring Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid, Aston Villa, and Napoli.

This marks the third season of the new Champions League format, featuring 36 teams combined into a single giant league where each side plays matches against eight distinct opponents. The season concludes with the final at the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid on June 5, 2027.