By Ameh Gabriel
Liverpool and Manchester City will both take on 15-time European champions Real Madrid in the league phase of the 2025/26 Champions League, while Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United face holders Paris Saint-Germain.
This season marks the second year of the new 36-team league format, with six Premier League sides competing for the first time. Under the structure, English clubs cannot meet until the knockout rounds.
Liverpool, six-time winners of the competition, face a daunting run that includes Atletico Madrid and last season’s finalists Inter Milan, alongside trips to Marseille and Galatasaray. Jürgen Klopp’s side will also welcome Real Madrid and PSV Eindhoven to Anfield.
Defending Premier League champions Manchester City will square off with Napoli, Borussia Dortmund and Monaco, as well as Real. Napoli’s visit to the Etihad could see Kevin De Bruyne line up against the club where he won six league titles.
Chelsea’s campaign includes clashes with European giants Barcelona and Bayern Munich, plus meetings with Benfica and Ajax. Arsenal, meanwhile, take on Bayern and Inter, as well as Atletico Madrid and Athletic Bilbao.
Newcastle United’s return to Europe’s elite stage brings a St James’ Park showdown with Barcelona, while Spurs – who booked their place by winning the Europa League will lock horns with PSG, Borussia Dortmund and Monaco.
The group-stage fixtures begin on Tuesday, 16 September 2025, with the final round scheduled for 28 January 2026. Budapest will host this season’s final.
Premier League Clubs’ Fixtures:
Liverpool: Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Eintracht Frankfurt, PSV, Marseille, Qarabag, Galatasaray.
Manchester City: Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen, Villarreal, Napoli, Bodo/Glimt, Galatasaray, Monaco.
Chelsea: Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Benfica, Atalanta, Ajax, Napoli, Pafos, Qarabag.
Arsenal: Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Club Brugge, Olympiacos, Slavia Prague, Kairat Almaty, Athletic Bilbao.
Tottenham: PSG, Borussia Dortmund, Villarreal, Eintracht Frankfurt, Slavia Prague, Bodo/Glimt, Copenhagen, Monaco.
Newcastle: PSG, Barcelona, Benfica, Bayer Leverkusen, PSV, Marseille, Athletic Bilbao, Union SG.
Elsewhere, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest will feature in the Europa League, while Crystal Palace, despite winning the FA Cup, have been placed in the Conference League due to multi-club ownership rules. Celtic and Rangers failed to qualify.
