Champions League: Who the English Teams Play

By the Editorial Team · Friday, August 28, 2026

Five English clubs—Arsenal, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Manchester City, and Manchester United—have been drawn into challenging groups for the UEFA Champions League group stage starting September 8, 2023. The group matches conclude on January 27, 2024, leading into knockout rounds from February to May, with the final set for June 5 at Madrid’s Estadio Metropolitano.

The UEFA Champions League group stage features a competitive lineup for the five English clubs participating this season, with fixtures commencing on September 8 and the final scheduled for June 5, 2024, at Madrid’s Estadio Metropolitano.

Arsenal faces a challenging group including Spanish giants Real Madrid and Real Betis, German clubs Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, French side Lille, Italian team Napoli, Azerbaijani club Sabah, and Czech Republic’s Slavia Prague. Notably, Sabah’s head coach Valdas Dambrauskas is the first Lithuanian to guide a club into the Champions League group stage.

Aston Villa, drawn in a group featuring Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund, Club Bruges, Fenerbahce, Galatasaray, Norway’s Viking, and Slavia Prague, face a demanding schedule as they return to Europe’s elite competition. Viking is a historic club with ties to English football through five former English managers, including Roy Hodgson and Bill Foulkes.

Liverpool must navigate a group consisting of Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan, Porto, Club Bruges, Villarreal, Fenerbahce, Lens, and Austrian club LASK. LASK, winners of the Austrian Bundesliga last season, secured their second league title, with a previous victory dating back to 1965.

Manchester City will compete against Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona, Sporting Lisbon, Porto, Napoli, RB Leipzig, AEK Athens, and Lens. AEK Athens have a remarkable rise, having played in Greece’s third division as an amateur side just over a decade ago.

Manchester United’s group features Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid, Roma, Sporting Lisbon, RB Leipzig, Villarreal, Azerbaijani side Sabah, and Como from Italy. Como, managed by former Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas, will be debuting in the Champions League this season.

The group stage encompasses eight matches, concluding on January 27, 2024. The knockout phase play-offs take place in mid-February, with the round of 16 commencing in March. Quarter-finals are scheduled for early to mid-April, and the semi-finals will be played at the end of April and the start of May. The tournament began with qualifying rounds on July 7.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.