The draw for the 2026-27 Champions League league phase took place at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco on Thursday 27 August, pitting 36 teams against eight opponents each in the single-group format. With the first matchday set for 8-10 September, the ceremony delivered a string of heavyweight clashes that will define the opening months of Europe's premier club competition.
Italian clubs' draws in full
**Inter** have been handed a punishing set of fixtures. The Nerazzurri will host Liverpool and Club Brugge at San Siro, while traveling to Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund — two of the toughest away days in European football. They also face Shakhtar Donetsk and Stuttgart at home, with trips to Feyenoord and Slovan Bratislava completing the picture.
**Roma** will welcome Real Madrid to the Stadio Olimpico, a mouth-watering tie that reunites the Giallorossi with one of the continent's giants. José Mourinho's Fenerbahçe lie in wait away from home — a reunion guaranteed to generate headlines — alongside Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United. At home, Roma also host Sporting CP, Lille, and Slovan Bratislava, with an away trip to AEK Athens rounding out the draw.
**Napoli** face a formidable away schedule: Manchester City, Porto, Villarreal, and Sabah. At the Maradona, they will host Arsenal, Club Brugge, Bodø/Glimt, and Viking — a draw that pits them against a Premier League title contender and a Norwegian side that have repeatedly upset bigger clubs in recent seasons.
**Como** are the stories of the draw. The lake-town club, in only their second season back in Serie A, will host PSG, Manchester United, RB Leipzig, and AEK Athens at the Sinigaglia. Away from home, Cesc Fàbregas's side travel to Barcelona — the former midfielder returning to Camp Nou — as well as Real Betis, Feyenoord, and Lens. It is a draw that captures both the romance and the challenge of the new format for a club punching well above its historical weight.
The bigger picture
Back-to-back champions **Paris Saint-Germain** were drawn into a group of death of sorts, facing both Barcelona and Manchester City alongside Aston Villa, Villarreal, Como, Roma, Galatasaray, and Slovan Bratislava. Luis Enrique's side have repeatedly shown that a slow start to the league phase is no barrier to lifting the trophy — they finished outside the top eight in each of the past two campaigns before going all the way — but the depth of opposition this time may test even their renowned squad rotation.
**Real Madrid** will not face Manchester City in the league phase for once. Instead, they draw Arsenal — fresh off a perfect 12-0 league phase record in 2025-26 — as well as Inter, Roma, PSV, RB Leipzig, Shakhtar Donetsk, LASK, and AEK Athens. The trips to San Siro and the Olimpico stand out as marquee fixtures.
**Arsenal**, who lost on penalties to PSG in last season's semi-final, boast an extraordinary 12-match winning run in the league phase. That streak will be tested by Real Madrid at the Emirates, Borussia Dortmund, Lille, and Sabah at home, with away visits to Bayern Munich, Real Betis, Napoli, and Slavia Praha.
**Manchester United** make their return to the competition after finishing third in the Premier League under Michael Carrick. They were drawn against Bayern Munich, Roma, RB Leipzig, and Sabah at home, with away trips to Atlético Madrid, Sporting CP, Villarreal, and Como.
Format and key dates
The league phase replaces the old group stage with a single 36-team table. Each side plays eight matches — four at home, four away — with the top eight advancing directly to the round of 16. Teams finishing 9th through 24th enter a knockout play-off round, while those placed 25th or lower are eliminated entirely.
The eight matchdays are scheduled across September, October, November, December, and January, with all 36 teams kicking off simultaneously on the final matchday of 27 January 2027 to prevent any tactical collusion.
Sources
- https://www.si.com/soccer/2026-27-champions-league-draw-league-phase-games-full
- https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/soccer/ucl/2026/08/27/uefa-champions-league-draw-2026-27-results-in-full/91483982007/
- https://www.sportingnews.com/in/football/news/champions-league-draw-live-results-2026-27/738687532c4f8549a8f53c93
