Champions League Phase Draw 2026/27: How the five English sides landed


 The league phase draw is done, and the Premier League's Champions League hopefuls now know their road to Madrid. Here's the breakdown, club by club.



Arsenal
Arsenal have arguably the toughest test on paper. They draw Real Madrid and Bayern Munich from Pot 1 — a brutal double, especially with Real Madrid at home carrying real box-office weight. Add Borussia Dortmund and Real Betis from Pot 2, Lille and Napoli from Pot 3, and Sabah and Slavia Prague rounding it out. This is a step up from Arsenal's dominant run last season — no easy nights against either Madrid or Munich.



Manchester City
City get PSG and Barcelona as their Pot 1 draws — a rematch of last year's semifinal picture and a fixture full of storylines given Maresca's history at both ends. Sporting CP and Napoli follow from Pot 2, then RB Leipzig and AEK Athens from the lower pots, with Lens completing the set.



Liverpool
A genuinely gettable draw by comparison. Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan headline from Pot 1, followed by Porto and Club Brugge, then Villarreal, Fenerbahce, and Lens rounding things out. No PSG, no Real Madrid, no Bayern — Liverpool will fancy their chances of a strong league-phase finish here.



Aston Villa
Villa's return to the competition brings a manageable-looking set: PSG and Barcelona in Pot 1 (tough on paper, but two huge home nights for Villa Park), Borussia Dortmund and Club Brugge next, then Fenerbahce, Galatasaray, Viking, and Slavia Prague.



Manchester United
United's full table isn't locked in the release yet, but confirmed fixtures include Bayern Munich (away) and Atletico Madrid (home) from the top pots — a tough pair to open with. More details to follow once UEFA's full schedule drops this weekend.

The bigger picture

Every side plays eight league-phase matches — two against opponents from each of the four pots — with the top eight advancing automatically to the round of 16, and 9th-24th going into a knockout play-off round. The final is set for the Metropolitano in Madrid on June 5, 2027, giving this year's draw extra symbolism for Atletico Madrid fans especially.

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