Arsenal and other English clubs have been drawn into challenging groups for the upcoming UEFA Champions League campaign, following the draw held in Monaco. The Premier League champions, Arsenal, face a particularly demanding schedule as they seek to improve on last season’s runner-up finish, which ended in a penalty shootout defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.
Arsenal will contend with several formidable opponents, including Real Madrid, managed by Jose Mourinho, and featuring Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior, a player Arsenal had previously sought to acquire. The London side will also travel to face Bayern Munich, led by former Tottenham striker Harry Kane. Other teams in Arsenal’s group include Borussia Dortmund, Real Betis, Lille, Napoli, as well as Azerbaijan’s Sabah and Slavia Prague.
Manchester City face a tough group as well, now managed by Enzo Maresca following Pep Guardiola’s departure after a decade at the helm. City will host PSG and visit Barcelona, with Portuguese clubs Sporting Lisbon and Porto also included in the group alongside Napoli, Leipzig, AEK Athens, and Lens.
Manchester United return to the competition after a two-year absence under manager Michael Carrick. Their group features notable fixtures such as a home match against Bayern Munich, recalling the memory of the 1999 Champions League final between the two sides. Roma will also visit Old Trafford, while United’s other opponents include Sporting Lisbon, Atletico Madrid, Como, Villarreal, Leipzig, and Sabah. The club is set to become the first English team to surpass 300 matches in the competition.
Liverpool, led by Andoni Iraola, appear to have a balanced draw. They will host Atletico Madrid, Porto, Villarreal, and Lens, while traveling to face Inter Milan, Club Brugge, Fenerbahce, and Lask. Europa League champions Aston Villa face a demanding group with home matches against PSG and visits to Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund, Fenerbahce, Viking, Club Brugge, Galatasaray, and Slavia Prague.
Mason Greenwood, formerly of Manchester United, may return to English soil in European competition with his current club, Fenerbahce, which he joined after stints with Getafe and Marseille. Greenwood, who was suspended by Manchester United in January 2022 following legal issues and subsequently cleared of charges, will face fixtures including a match against Shakhtar Donetsk, who are hosting home games at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge due to the conflict in Ukraine. Chelsea will also host matches against Real Madrid, Sporting Lisbon, and AEK Athens, among others.
Scottish side Celtic were eliminated in the playoffs after a dramatic second-leg loss to Lask, an Austrian club that overturned a four-goal deficit. Lask will play Liverpool at home and visit Real Madrid, highlighting the competitive nature of the tournament’s early stages.
In total, 36 teams compete in a league format during the group stage, with 24 qualifying directly for the knockout rounds. Teams placed between ninth and 24th will enter two-legged knockout playoffs, while those ranking 25th to 36th will be eliminated. English teams involved in the Europa League and Europa Conference League, including Bournemouth, Sunderland, Crystal Palace, and Brighton, will discover their opponents in subsequent draws.