Arsenal handed Real Madrid and Bayern Munich in Champions League draw

Arsenal will face Real Madrid and Bayern Munich in the Champions League league phase, with the Premier League champions beginning their campaign against the Spanish side at home before travelling to Germany.

The Gunners, who reached last season’s European final, will also play Borussia Dortmund and Napoli as they target a place in the top eight and automatic qualification for the last 16.

Their remaining fixtures are against Real Betis, Lille, Sabah and Slavia Prague. The top eight teams in the league-phase table will progress directly to the last 16, while those finishing from ninth to 24th will have to compete in the knockout play-offs.

Manchester City and Aston Villa have also been handed challenging draws, with both clubs scheduled to play defending champions Paris Saint-Germain.

Villa’s home fixture against Paris Saint-Germain will be a repeat of the recent Super Cup final, which the French club won 2-1 in Salzburg. Unai Emery’s side will also travel to Barcelona and host Borussia Dortmund, while their other opponents are Club Brugge, Fenerbahce, Galatasaray and Slavia Prague.

Manchester City will welcome Paris Saint-Germain and Sporting CP before travelling to Barcelona and Porto. Pep Guardiola’s side will also play Napoli, RB Leipzig, AEK Athens and Lens.

Liverpool and Manchester United fixtures

Liverpool will travel to Inter Milan and host Atletico Madrid during their eight league-phase matches. Arne Slot’s side will also meet FC Porto, Club Brugge, Villarreal, Fenerbahce, Lens and LASK.

Manchester United will face Atletico Madrid away from home and host Bayern Munich at Old Trafford. Their other opponents are Roma, Sporting CP, RB Leipzig, Villarreal, Sabah and Como.

The full list of opponents for the Premier League clubs is:

Arsenal: Real Madrid (H), Bayern Munich (A), Borussia Dortmund (H), Real Betis (A), Lille (H), Napoli (A), Sabah (H), Slavia Prague (A)

Aston Villa: Barcelona (A), Paris Saint-Germain (H), Borussia Dortmund (H), Club Brugge (A), Fenerbahce (H), Galatasaray (A), Viking (H), Slavia Prague (A)

Liverpool: Inter Milan (A), Atletico Madrid (H), FC Porto (H), Club Brugge (A), Villarreal (H), Fenerbahce (A), Lens (H), LASK (A)

Manchester City: Paris Saint-Germain (H), Barcelona (A), Sporting CP (H), Porto (A), Napoli (H), RB Leipzig (A), AEK Athens (H), Lens (A)

Manchester United: Atletico Madrid (A), Bayern Munich (H), Roma (H), Sporting CP (A), RB Leipzig (H), Villarreal (A), Sabah (H), Como (A)

League phase begins in September

The league phase will start between 8 and 10 September, with the opening six rounds taking place before the end of December.

The competition will resume in January, with the eighth and final league-phase round scheduled for 27 January.

Clubs finishing from 25th to 36th will be eliminated from the competition. The teams placed ninth to 24th will enter the knockout play-offs, competing for the remaining eight places in the last 16.

Exact dates and kick-off times for every fixture are expected to be confirmed on Saturday.

Four clubs set for Champions League debuts

The new campaign will feature four clubs making their Champions League debuts: Como, Austria’s LASK, Norway’s Viking and Azerbaijan’s Sabah.

Como are coached by former Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas, who will lead the Italian club into its first appearance in the competition.

The draw also marks a landmark moment for Yaya Toure. The former Manchester City midfielder has become the first African coach to guide a team into the main Champions League draw after leading Slovakian champions Slovan Bratislava through the qualifying play-offs.