Champions League draw in full: Five best fixtures as 2025-26 league phase confirmed

Within the absence of Scottish giants Rangers and Celtic, the 2025-26 Champions League correct is now edging nearer into view, because the league section draw was performed on Thursday afternoon.

Executives representing all 36 groups – from champions Paris Saint-Germain to minnows Kairat and Pafos – have been in attendance in Monaco to witness the automated draw for the league section, because the new-look UCL enters its second 12 months.

The 2024-25 revamp was met with combined critiques, however few can deny that the event threw up some fascinating early battles, and there are some high-profile encounters to look out for this time round too.

Right here, Sports activities Mole picks out the 5 finest fixtures to look out for within the 2025-26 Champions League league section.

2025-26 Champions League league section: 5 finest fixtures

Nicely, this was at all times going to occur was it not? Common rivals Arsenal and Bayern Munich lock horns once more, however this time within the league section, because the Gunners endeavour to avenge a number of knockout heartbreaks by the hands of the German giants.

Mikel Arteta’s males most just lately fought a superb battle in opposition to the Bavarians within the 2023-24 Champions League quarter-finals, however after holding out for a 2-2 draw on residence soil, a Joshua Kimmich effort on the Allianz Area within the second leg condemned the Gunners to a 3-2 combination defeat.

This time, North London and North London solely would be the setting for this UCL fixture – except each side collide once more within the knockout rounds – and Tottenham Hotspur legend Harry Kane will want no added incentive to make the Emirates his playground.

Time for the Didier Drogba “It is a f****** shame!” clip to come back again from the archives.

The reigning Membership World Cup champions welcome final season’s Champions League favourites to Stamford Bridge for a repeat of the unforgettable 2009 semi-final drama, which preceded the equally memorable Fernando Torres tap-in at Camp Nou in 2012.

In addition to pitting English behemoths in opposition to a Catalan colossus, two of the globe’s most coveted younger attacking skills will sq. off for supremacy, as Lamine Yamal and Cole Palmer come nose to nose.

The previous got here out on prime with Spain within the Euro 2024 closing – regardless of Palmer’s quintessential ‘ice-cold’ equaliser – and this battle of the Bridge wants no build-up.

More and more acquainted foes over the previous a number of seasons, the 2025-26 Champions League will mark the fifth straight marketing campaign wherein Actual Madrid and Manchester Metropolis have collided in Europe’s premier event, however their first non-knockout assembly since their inaugural clashes in 2012.

Few Sky Blues followers want reminding of how their 2024-25 battles panned out, as Carlo Ancelotti obtained one over Pep Guardiola within the knockout spherical playoffs to ship the 2022-23 champions crashing out of the competitors, a second straight dose of Blancos-inflicted heartache after their 2023-24 quarter-final loss.

Additionally boasting one semi-final success apiece from the 2021-22 and 2022-23 competitions, Actual Madrid and Man Metropolis are forming fairly the rivalry in European soccer, albeit nothing that will match as much as the long-running battle between Los Blancos and one other of their Premier League counterparts.

A penny for Trent Alexander-Arnold’s ideas!

Probably essentially the most predictable consequence of any Champions League season ever, Liverpool and Actual Madrid will meet at Anfield. Shock horror.

The Reds got here up trumps after they welcomed the then-holders to their Merseyside residence in final season’s league section, ending a torturous eight-game winless run in opposition to Los Blancos – seven of which resulted in defeat, together with the 2018 and 2022 finals.

Whereas Xabi Alonso could also be granted a heat welcome again to his former residence, Alexander-Arnold would do effectively to count on a frosty reception, particularly seeing as his personal followers had already turned on him earlier than he swapped pink for white.

Barcelona vs. Paris Saint-Germain

From the Alexander-Arnold derby to the Ousmane Dembele derby, attacking fireworks are assured to fly when the holders and final season’s crushed semi-finalists go head-to-head in Catalonia.

Almost 10 years on from the long-lasting Remontada, it stays to be seen whether or not Barcelona will welcome PSG again to the venue of that fascinating comeback, as La Blaugrana’s return to Camp Nou continues to hit setbacks following renovations.

Nonetheless, a tie that has produced 28 objectives throughout their final six conferences – a mean of shut to 5 per sport – guarantees an exhilarating experience.

When does the 2025-26 Champions League league section begin?

The 2025-26 Champions League league section will start on September 16 and can conclude with the ultimate spherical of matches on January 28, 2026, when all 36 groups can be in motion on the identical night.

2025-26 Champions League league section attract full

Ajax: Inter Milan (residence), Chelsea (away), Benfica (residence), Villarreal (away), Olympiacos (residence), Marseille (away), Galatasaray (residence), Qarabag (away)

Arsenal: Bayern Munich (residence), Inter Milan (away), Atletico Madrid (residence), Membership Brugge (away), Olympiacos (residence), Slavia Prague (away), Kairat Almaty (residence), Athletic Bilbao (away)

Atalanta BC: Chelsea (residence), Paris St-Germain (away), Membership Brugge (residence), Eintracht Frankfurt (away), Slavia Prague (residence), Marseille (away), Athletic Bilbao (residence), Union SG (away)

Athletic Bilbao: Paris Saint-Germain (residence), Borussia Dortmund (away), Arsenal (residence), Atalanta BC (away), Sporting Lisbon (residence), Slavia Prague (away), Qarabag (residence), Newcastle United (away)

Atletico Madrid: Inter Milan (residence), Liverpool (away), Eintracht Frankfurt (residence), Arsenal (away), Bodo/Glimt (residence), PSV Eindhoven (away), Union SG (residence), Galatasaray (away)

Barcelona: Paris St-Germain (residence), Chelsea (away), Eintracht Frankfurt (residence), Membership Brugge (away), Olympiacos (residence), Slavia Prague (away), Copenhagen (residence), Newcastle United (away)

Bayer Leverkusen: Paris St-Germain (residence), Manchester Metropolis (away), Villarreal (residence), Benfica (away), PSV Eindhoven (residence), Olympiacos (away), Newcastle (residence), Copenhagen (away)

Bayern Munich: Chelsea (residence), Paris St-Germain (away), Membership Brugge (residence), Arsenal (away), Sporting (residence), PSV (away), Union SG (residence), Pafos (away)

Benfica: Actual Madrid (residence), Chelsea (away), Bayer Leverkusen (residence), Juventus (away), Napoli (residence), Ajax (away), Qarabag (residence), Newcastle (away)

Bodo/Glimt: Man Metropolis (residence), Borussia Dortmund (away), Juventus (residence), Atletico Madrid (away), Tottenham Hotspur (residence), Slavia Prague (away), Monaco (residence), Galatasaray (away)

Borussia Dortmund: Inter Milan (residence), Manchester Metropolis (away), Villarreal (residence), Juventus (away), Bodo/Glimt (residence), Tottenham (away), Athletic Bilbao (residence), Copenhagen (away)

Chelsea: Barcelona (Residence), Bayern Munich (Aragay), Benfica (Residence), Atalanta (Aragay), Ajax (Residence), Napoli (Residence), Pafos (Aray), Qaarabag (Away)

Membership Brugge: Barcelona (residence), Bayern Munich (away), Arsenal (residence), Atalanta (away), Marseille (residence), Sporting (away), Monaco (residence), Kairat Almaty (away)

Copenhagen: Borussia Dortmund (residence), Barcelona (away), Bayer Leverkusen (residence), Villarreal (away), Napoli (residence), Tottenham Hotspur (away), Kairat (residence), Qarabag (away)

Eintracht Frankfurt: Liverpool (residence), Barcelona (away), Atalanta (residence), Atletico Madrid (away) Tottenham (residence), Napoli (away), Galatasaray (residence), Qarabag (away)

Galatasaray: Liverpool (residence), Manchester Metropolis (away), Atletico Madrid (residence), Eintracht Frankfurt (away), Bodo/Glimt (residence), Ajax (away), Union SG (residence), Monaco (away)

Inter Milan: Liverpool (residence), Borrusia Dortmund (away), Arsenal (residence), Atletico Madrid (away), Slavia Prague (residence), Ajax (away), Kairat Almaty (residence), Union SG (away)

Juventus: Borussia Dortmund (residence), Actual Madrid (away), Benfica (residence), Villarreal (away), Sporting (residence), Bogo Glimt (away), Pafos (residence), Monaco (away)

Kairat: Actual Madrid (residence), Inter Milan (away), Membership Brugge (residence), Arsenal (away), Olympiacos (residence), Sporting Lisbon (away), Pafos (residence), Copenhagen (away)

Liverpool: Actual Madrid (residence), Inter Milan (away), Atletico Madrid (residence), Eintracht Frankfurt (away), PSV Eindhoven (residence), Marseille (away), Qarabag (residence), Galatasaray (away)

Manchester Metropolis: Borussia Dortmund (residence), Actual Madrid (away), Bayer Leverkusen (residence), Villarreal (away), Napoli (residence), Bodo/Glimt (away), Galatasaray (residence), Monaco (away)

Marseille: Liverpool (residence), Actual Madrid (away), Atalanta BC (residence), Membership Brugge (away), Ajax (residence), Sporting Lisbon (away), Newcastle United (residence), Union SG (away)

Monaco: Manchester Metropolis (residence), Actual Madrid (away), Juventus (residence), Membership Brugge (away), Tottenham Hotspur (residence), Bodo/Glimt (away), Galatasaray (residence), Pafos (away)

Napoli: Chelsea (residence), Manchester Metropolis (away), Eintracht Frankfurt (residence), Benfica (away), Sporting Lisbon (residence), PSV Eindhoven (away), Qarabag (residence), Copenhagen (away)

Newcastle United: Barcelona (residence), Paris Saint-Germain (away), Benfica (residence), Bayer Leverkusen (away), PSV Eindhoven (residence), Marseille (away), Athletic Bilbao (residence), Union SG (away)

Olympiacos: Actual Madrid (residence), Barcelona (away), Bayer Leverkusen (residence), Arsenal (away), PSV Eindhoven (residence), Ajax (away), Pafos (residence), Kairat (away)

Pafos: Bayern Munich (residence), Chelsea (away), Villarreal (residence), Juventus (away), Slavia Prague (residence), Olympiacos (away), Monaco (residence), Kairat (away)

Paris Saint-Germain: Bayern Munich (residence), Barcelona (away), Atalanta (residence), Bayer Leverkusen (away), Tottenham Hotspur (residence), Sporting (away), Newcastle United (residence), Athletic Membership (away)

PSV Eindhoven: Bayern Munich (residence), Liverpool (away), Atletico Madrid (residence), Bayer Leverkusen (away), Napoli (residence), Olympiacos (away), Union Saint-Gilloise (residence), Newcastle United (away)

Qarabag: Chelsea (residence), Liverpool (away), Eintracht Frankfurt (residence), Benfica (away), Ajax (residence), Napoli (away), Copenhagen (residence), Athletic Bilbao (away)

Actual Madrid: Manchester Metropolis (residence), Liverpool (away), Juventus (residence), Benfica (away), Marseille (residence), Olympiacos (away), Monaco (residence), Kairat Almaty (away)

Slavia Prague: Barcelona (Residence), Inter Milan (Aragay), Arestal (Residence), Atalanta BC (Away), Bodo/Glimt (Residence), Tottenham Hotspur (Away), Athletic Bilbao (Residence), Pafos (Aragay)

Sporting Lisbon: Paris Saint-Germain (residence), Bayern Munich (away), Membership Brugge (residence), Juventus (away), Olympiacos (residence), Napoli (away), Kairat (residence), Athletic Bilbao (away)

Tottenham Hotspur: Borussia Dortmund (residence), Paris Saint-Germain (away), Villarreal (residence), Eintracht Frankfurt (away), Slavia Prague (residence), Bodo/Glimt (away), Copenhagen (residence), Monaco (away)

Union SG: Inter Milan (residence), Bayern Munich (away), Atalanta BC (residence), Atletico Madrid (away), Marseille (residence), PSV Eindhoven (away), Newcastle United (residence), Galatasaray (away)

Villarreal: Manchester Metropolis (residence), Borussia Dortmund (away), Juventus (residence), Bayer Leverkusen (away), Ajax (residence), Tottenham (away), Copenhagen (residence), Pafos (away)

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