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Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, and Aston Villa now know the challenges that lie ahead in Europe’s premier club competition.
Arsenal have been handed a tough draw, with matches against European heavyweights Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Inter Milan in what promises to be a thrilling test for Mikel Arteta’s side.
The Gunners will face PSG and Inter, along with other opponents in this expanded league phase, which introduces a fresh format to the competition.
Liverpool, aiming to reclaim European glory, will host reigning champions Real Madrid at Anfield in what is set to be one of the standout fixtures of the season. Arne Slot’s side will also face RB Leipzig away, Bayer Leverkusen at home, and a trip to the iconic San Siro to battle AC Milan.
Manchester City, the defending Premier League champions, will face challenging away matches against PSG and Juventus. They will also take on Inter Milan at the Etihad Stadium, adding further excitement to their Champions League campaign.
Aston Villa, back in the Champions League under the guidance of Unai Emery, will welcome German giants Bayern Munich to Villa Park for a glamour tie. The Midlands club will also face Juventus at home and travel to RB Leipzig as they navigate this new format.
Under the revamped structure, each team will play eight fixtures — four at home and four away — against eight different opponents, two more than in the previous group stage format.
This change marks the first step in a more expansive Champions League, with 36 teams competing in a single league.
The top eight teams will automatically advance to the last 16, while those finishing between ninth and 24th will enter a play-off round to secure their place in the knockout stages.
Teams finishing 25th or lower will be eliminated from European competition altogether.
The full match schedule, including dates and times, will be released shortly.
The full draw for British teams:
Manchester City: Inter Milan (H), PSG (A), Club Brugge (H), Juventus (A), Feyenoord (H), Sporting CP (A), Sparta Prague (H), Slovan Bratislava (A)
Liverpool: Real Madrid (H), RB Leipzig (A), Bayer Leverkusen (H), AC Milan (A), Lille (H), PSV (A), Bologna (H), Girona (A)
Arsenal: PSG (H), Inter Mian (A), Shakhtar Donetsk (H), Atalanta (A), Dinamo Zagreb (H), Sporting CP (A), Monaco (H), Girona (A)
Aston Villa: Bayern Munich (H), RB Leipzig (A), Juventus (H), Club Brugge (A), Celtic (H), Young Boys (A), TBC
Celtic: RB Leipzig (H), Borussia Dortmund (A), Club Brugge (H), Atalanta (A), Young Boys (H), Dinamo Zagreb (A), Slovan Bratislava (H), Aston Villa (A)
