Super Eagles stars Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Zaidu Sanusi and Igoh Ogbu have discovered their opponents for the 26/27 UEFA Champions League league phase following Thursday’s draw in Monaco, Footynaija.com reports.
Osimhen will lead Galatasaray into another Champions League campaign after the Turkish champions secured their place among Europe’s elite by retaining their Super Lig crown last season.
The Nigerian striker has been handed a series of high-profile fixtures, with Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain among Galatasaray’s eight opponents. Aston Villa, Feyenoord, Stuttgart, Sporting CP, Lille and AEK Athens will complete Galatasaray’s league-phase schedule.
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Lookman is also set for some heavyweight European nights after Atletico Madrid were handed a difficult draw. The Spanish side will take on Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Manchester United, meaning the Super Eagles forward will have the chance to test himself against three of Europe’s biggest clubs.
PSV Eindhoven, Fenerbahce, Stuttgart, Bodo/Glimt and Viking are the other teams Atletico will meet.
Ogbu, meanwhile, will face another major test of his credentials after Slavia Prague were drawn against several strong opponents. The Czech side will host Arsenal, Aston Villa, Villarreal and Lens, while away trips to Bayern Munich, Porto, Fenerbahce and Sabah await.
The draw also produced a reunion of sorts for Sanusi, whose Porto side will meet several familiar Champions League names during the league phase.
Manchester City will travel to Portugal, while Porto will make the trip to Liverpool. Their remaining fixtures are against PSV Eindhoven, Real Betis, Napoli, Feyenoord, Slavia Prague and LASK.
The UCL league phase timeline
The 26/27 Champions League retains the league-phase format introduced in recent seasons, with 36 clubs each playing eight different opponents.
Each team will play four matches at home and four away, with the league phase scheduled to begin between September 8 and 10. The final matchday is set for January 27, 2027, when the teams will know their fate in the race for the knockout rounds.
The top eight sides will progress directly to the round of 16, while teams finishing between ninth and 24th will enter the knockout phase play-offs.
For Osimhen, Lookman, Sanusi and Ogbu, the draw has set up a demanding European campaign and the opportunity to put their quality on display against some of the continent’s biggest clubs.
