Champions League draw: Good video games for Arsenal, dangerous for PSG

Three months after Paris Saint-Germain received the Champions League for the primary time in crew historical past with a 5-0 rout of Inter Milan in Munich, the draw for the league section of the 2025-26 season has now mapped out the trail to this version’s closing in Budapest, Hungary.

PSG, Real Madrid and Liverpool lead the checklist of favorites to emerge as Champions League winners within the Puskas Arena on May 30, 2026, however Arsenal, Manchester City, Bayern Munich and FIFA Club World Cup winners Chelsea may even have aspirations of lifting the trophy on the finish of this season. So with all 32 competing groups now understanding their fixture checklist for the league section, what are the stand-out tales of the Champions League draw?

It was a great draw for …

Arsenal

Are Arsenal the largest membership which have by no means received the Champions League? It is perhaps a toss of a coin between the Gunners and Atletico Madrid for that prize, however Mikel Arteta’s facet reached the semifinals final season they usually have a good path to the knockout stage this time round.

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Arsenal face Atletico and Bayern Munich on the Emirates and the hardest away journey might be to face Inter Milan, however with Simone Inzaghi quitting as coach after guiding the Nerrazzurri to final season’s closing, the Italian outfit are in transition underneath new boss Cristian Chivu. A giant consequence for Arsenal is going through Kairat Almaty at residence, moderately than having to journey 4,200 miles to Kazakhstan for a way more tough away sport.

Napoli

Italian champions Napoli had been the damaging outsiders in Pot 4, however aside from two powerful video games towards Premier League opponents in Chelsea (H) and Man City (A), Antonio Conte’s facet ought to coast into the subsequent section.

Napoli have residence video games towards Eintracht Frankfurt, Sporting CP and Qarabag, with away video games towards PSV Eindhoven, Benfica and Copenhagen. But they’ve prevented the large weapons (Liverpool, PSG, Real and Bayern) in Pot A, and as such it might be a significant shock if Napoli to make it to the knockout levels.

Manchester City

The 2023 Champions League winners had a dismal European marketing campaign final season and solely snuck into the playoff stage — earlier than dropping towards Real Madrid — on the ultimate matchday.

It must be extra simple for Pep Guardiola’s crew this season, although. Aside from one other conflict with Real within the Santiago Bernabeu, City will likely be completely happy to face Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen, Galatasaray and Napoli at residence. Away journeys to Villarreal, Bodo/Glimt and Monaco should not be an excessive amount of of a priority to the Premier League facet, both, at the same time as Guardiola’s facet stay a little bit of a piece in progress.

Tottenham

Europa League winners Tottenham have the daunting activity of touring to Champions League winners PSG — the French facet received final month’s Super Cup conflict in Udine with a late fightback — however the remainder of the fixtures for Thomas Frank’s crew are eminently winnable.

Spurs received at Eintracht Frankfurt and Bodo/Glimt on the best way to Europa League glory final season, so they won’t concern return journeys to each golf equipment, whereas residence video games towards Dortmund, Villarreal, Slavia Prague and FC Copenhagen must be snug. An away journey to Monaco may very well be powerful, particularly if Paul Pogba hits prime type together with his new membership, however general it is a good draw for Spurs.

It was a nasty draw for …

Paris Saint-Germain

Luis Enrique’s crew wanted a win away to VfB Stuttgart on the ultimate league matchday final season to assert a spot within the playoff spherical after making laborious work of the league section. The relaxation is historical past, with PSG going all the best way to turn into Champions League winners, however the French membership have one other powerful path this season.

Bayern (H), Barcelona (A), Atalanta (H), Leverkusen (A) and Spurs (H) make for some heavyweight clashes, whereas Sporting CP and Athletic Club additionally pose tough away journeys. And who is aware of what take a look at Newcastle will supply after they go to Parc des Princes, two years after a controversial attract Paris contributed to their group stage exit.

Chelsea

World champions Chelsea received the Conference League final season, so their squad has loads of European expertise, however Enzo Maresca’s facet have a troublesome set of fixtures forward of them.

Barcelona’s go to to Stamford Bridge will revive reminiscences of titanic clashes from the previous and Benfica may even make life tough for the Blues, though encounters with Ajax and Pafos must be extra simple. But away from residence, Chelsea have some daunting video games to barter. Bayern Munich, Atalanta and Napoli are all very powerful highway journeys, whereas a protracted journey to Azerbaijan to face Qarabag will supply its personal issues relating to logistics and health.

Real Madrid

First of all, let’s put this in context. Real Madrid at all times discover a solution to get into the knockout stage, whether or not they’re enjoying nicely or not, however regardless of their pedigree, the Spanish giants underneath new supervisor Xabi Alonso nonetheless have a troublesome path this time round.

A visit to Liverpool will likely be a field workplace event, whereas Benfica away is rarely a straightforward fixture. Real must be pleased with a visit to Olympiacos, however the journey calls for of their away sport with Kairat Almaty can’t be overstated.

Even at residence, Real have some tough fixtures towards Manchester City, Juventus, Marseille and Monaco — all video games that Real will anticipate to win, however they’re additionally opponents who may every harm Xabi Alonso’s crew.

Newcastle United

There are loads of glamour video games forward for Eddie Howe’s crew, however it’s also a hazardous set of fixtures for the Premier League membership.

Barcelona at residence will revive reminiscences of a Faustino Asprilla hat-trick in a well-known St James’s Park 3-2 win in 1997, whereas there’s current historical past of controversy in Paris forward of the journey to PSG. Benfica, PSV and Athletic Club are all as a result of go to St James’s, whereas there are powerful journeys to Marseille, Leverkusen and Union SG for Newcastle to beat.

Emotional reunion or unwelcome residence?

The Champions League draw has provided some emotional (and uncomfortable) reunions for loads of gamers. Trent Alexander-Arnold will return to Liverpool with Real Madrid simply months after being booed by the Reds’ followers for operating down his contract so as to be a part of the Spanish membership. But whereas Alexander-Arnold can anticipate a caustic reception, Kevin De Bruyne will likely be welcomed like a returning hero when he heads again to Manchester City with Napoli.

Hugo Ekitike faces a fast return to Eintracht Frankfurt with Liverpool following an amicable summer season transfer to Anfield, whereas Eric Dier can sit up for a reunion together with his former teammates at Tottenham. Antonio Conte, in the meantime, will go up towards former membership Chelsea when the London facet head to Napoli.

While will probably be something however a reunion, former Tottenham ahead Harry Kane is aware of he will likely be in for a scorching reception when he returns to North London with Bayern Munich to face Arsenal.

Must-see matches of the league section

Liverpool vs. Real Madrid

It’s a sport wealthy in Champions League historical past between two of the favorites to win this season’s competitors. It is a tie that has the whole lot, together with Alexander-Arnold’s return to Anfield to face his former membership.

Real have crushed Liverpool twice in current finals in 2018 and 2022, however Arne Slot’s facet secured a victory towards Real at Anfield in final yr’s league section. When they meet at Anfield, there will likely be superstars all around the pitch as Mohamed Salah, Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior and Florian Wirtz all battle to emerge because the headline-maker.

Barcelona vs. PSG

This matchup has turn into a modern-day Champions League basic, with Barca’s unforgettable 6-1 win in 2017 — after dropping 4-0 in a round-of-16 tie in Paris — among the many most unbelievable video games the event has ever seen. The two sides have met 14 instances and the head-to-head is similar, with either side successful 5 instances and 4 attracts between them. They have additionally each scored 27 targets within the video games towards one another.

The sport in Catalonia will see Luis Enrique return to the membership that he led to Champions League success in 2015, so this will likely be a giant evening for the PSG coach.

Arsenal vs. Bayern Munich

Bayern have tended to dominate their conferences with the Gunners over time, successful eight and dropping simply three of their 14 earlier encounters. But Arteta’s facet are a growing power in England and Europe, and this conflict on the Emirates will give the Gunners an early likelihood to hammer out their credentials as potential winners.

Bayern stay Germany’s powerhouse crew, although, and they are going to be decided to take care of their maintain over Arsenal — and you may wager Harry Kane will likely be determined to inflict extra ache on Arteta’s crew.

Chelsea vs. Barcelona

These two have met on 14 earlier events, with 4 wins apiece and 6 attracts, however video games between Chelsea and Barcelona are normally high-energy and with loads of controversy. The 2009 semifinal at Stamford Bridge boiled over when referee Tom Henning Ovrebo dismissed 4 Chelsea penalty appeals earlier than Andres Iniesta’s stoppage time purpose sealed a spot within the closing on the away targets rule.

Chelsea gained revenge with a 3-2 mixture semifinal win three years afterward their solution to successful the competitors for the primary time. With a lot historical past, anticipate fireworks when the 2 sides meet in London.

Kairat Almaty vs. Real Madrid

This is a sport for the soccer romantics who yearn for video games that pit heavy underdogs towards superpower groups, and Real’s journey to Kazakhstan to face Kairat Almaty emphatically ticks that field.

Kairat made it by way of to the league section with a penalty shoot-out win towards Celtic — keeper Temirlan Anarbekov saved three spot-kicks — they usually have been rewarded with a conflict towards the largest membership on this planet and essentially the most profitable facet in Champions League historical past. Real will likely be cautious of an upset towards the rank outsiders as a result of they’ll nonetheless have reminiscences of their 2-1 defeat at residence to Moldovan facet Sheriff Tiraspol in Sept 2021.

Other large golf equipment’ fortunes in a sentence

Liverpool: The Reds have the hardest set of video games primarily based on the UEFA coefficient, however aside from a house sport towards Real Madrid, Arne Slot’s crew look to have a snug run within the league section.

Barcelona: PSG at house is the large sport for Barca, however they may come unstuck with tough away video games towards Chelsea and Newcastle. The remainder of their part ought to make life simpler for Hansi Flick’s facet.

Inter Milan: It’s laborious to gauge Inter after final season’s 5-0 hammering towards PSG within the closing and a brand new supervisor, however residence video games towards Liverpool and Arsenal have spared them powerful journeys to England.

Juventus: Real Madrid within the Spanish capital is a troublesome sport for the Italian giants, however they are going to be completely happy to be paired with Borussia Dortmund moderately than one of many different large weapons from Pot 1.

Bayern Munich: They face large video games towards Chelsea, PSG and Arsenal, however general the Bavarians will likely be pleased with their eight fixtures and fancy their probabilities of ending within the prime eight to keep away from the playoff spherical.