Liverpool and Manchester City Draw Tough Opponents in Champions League Group Stage

Liverpool and Manchester City have been drawn against 15-time winners Real Madrid in the Champions League group stage, while Tottenham and Newcastle will face holders Paris St-Germain. The six Premier League teams will compete in a 36-team league, with six matches each.

By Chris Posiano

August 29, 2025 at 2:32 AM

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The Champions League group stage draw has been announced, and Liverpool and Manchester City have been handed tough opponents in the form of 15-time winners Real Madrid. The two English giants will face stiff competition in the league phase, which features 36 teams from across Europe.

Liverpool will host Real Madrid at Anfield, a matchup that will see Trent Alexander-Arnold return to his former club. The Reds will also face Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan in their eight group stage matches. Manchester City, on the other hand, will take on Napoli and Borussia Dortmund, with Kevin de Bruyne set to face his former club at Etihad Stadium.

Chelsea has been drawn against giants Barcelona and Bayern Munich, as well as a former player in David Luiz, who now plays for Pafos of Cyprus. Arsenal will also face Harry Kane's Bayern and Inter Milan in their group stage matches. Newcastle's return to the competition includes a trip to St James' Park for Barcelona, while Tottenham will play Dortmund and Monaco.

The first matches of the group stage will take place on September 16, and the last round of league games will be played on January 28, 2026. The season's final will be held in Budapest. The Premier League teams have been distributed across the groups, with no matchups between English sides until the knockout stages.

According to the average Uefa coefficient of their opponents, PSV Eindhoven has been handed the toughest draw in the league phase. The Dutch team will face the champions of England, Germany, and Italy, as well as two of the top three seeds from Pot 2. Manchester City and Liverpool have also been given challenging groups, with both sides facing Real Madrid and other top-tier teams.

Atalanta is likely to be the happiest club following the draw, having been given the most favorable fixtures. The Italian team will face champions Paris St-Germain and Club World Cup champions Chelsea, but also has lower-seeded teams in their group. Both north London clubs, Arsenal and Tottenham, should also be fairly happy with their draws, avoiding some of the tougher opponents in the process.