Bayern Munich’s Champions League league-phase schedule confirmed

Bayern Munich will begin their 2026-27 UEFA Champions League campaign with a home match against Arsenal, while a meeting with Manchester United away from home will revive memories of the famous 1998-99 final.

The six-time European champions will play eight matches in the league phase under Vincent Kompany, with four fixtures at the Allianz Arena and four away from home. Bayern come into the competition after winning the domestic double last season.

They were eliminated in the semi-finals of last season’s Champions League by eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain, losing 6-5 on aggregate.

Under the league-phase format, each club is drawn against two opponents from each of the four seeding pots. Bayern’s schedule includes matches against teams from all four pots, with their home and away fixtures arranged as follows:

– Arsenal – at home – Atletico de Madrid – away – Real Betis – at home – Manchester United – away – Bodø/Glimt – at home – Lille – away – Slovan Bratislava – at home – Viking – away

The fixture against Manchester United will be one of the most notable ties in Bayern’s schedule, bringing the clubs together again after the 1998-99 Champions League final.

Manchester United won that final with two late goals, completing a dramatic comeback against Bayern. However, the English side have defeated Bayern only twice in the history of the fixture: in that 1999 final and again in the 2009-10 Champions League quarter-finals.

Bayern have the stronger overall record between the clubs, having won six of their meetings. Five other matches have ended in draws.

The dates and kick-off times for the league-phase fixtures are expected to be announced on Saturday, 29 August.

The league phase of the 2026-27 Champions League will begin on 8 September and conclude on 27 January 2027.

Bayern will therefore face a varied group of opponents during the opening stage, including Arsenal and Atletico de Madrid from the highest seeding category, Manchester United and Lille away from home, and home games against Real Betis, Bodø/Glimt and Slovan Bratislava. Their only away fixture against one of the headline opponents listed is the meeting with Atletico de Madrid, while the trip to Manchester United is set to provide the strongest historical narrative of the campaign.

The Munich club will be aiming to progress beyond the stage at which they ended last season, when their run came to an end against Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals. Their campaign this time will start at home against Arsenal before moving into a league phase that requires every side to play eight opponents rather than meeting one group of teams twice.