Champions League Draw Sends PSG to Manchester City and Aston Villa

Defending champions Paris St-Germain will face Manchester City, Aston Villa and Barcelona in the league phase of the 2026-27 Champions League. BBC Sport reported the draw on Thursday, with five Premier League clubs learning their eight opponents in the expanded league format.

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PSG, who have won the competition in consecutive seasons, will host Barcelona at Parc des Princes and travel to both Villa Park and the Etihad Stadium. Their placement gives City and Villa home fixtures against the holders, while Barcelona will receive PSG in France rather than Spain.

Premier League champions Arsenal were drawn at home to 15-time European champions Real Madrid and away to Bayern Munich. Mikel Arteta's team will also host Borussia Dortmund, Lille and Azerbaijani champions Sabah, while travelling to Real Betis, Napoli and Slavia Prague. Arsenal lost last season's Champions League final to PSG on penalties, according to the BBC report.

Manchester City will welcome PSG, Sporting and Napoli, as well as AEK Athens, while their away assignments are Barcelona, Porto, RB Leipzig and Lens. The Barcelona trip is set to bring a reunion with Rodri after the midfielder moved to the Spanish club this summer. Napoli's visit will similarly put City against former midfielder Kevin de Bruyne.

Aston Villa, back in the Champions League after one season away, will host PSG, Borussia Dortmund, Fenerbahce and Viking. Unai Emery's side travel to Barcelona, Club Brugge, Galatasaray and Slavia Prague. Manchester United host Bayern Munich, Roma, Leipzig and Sabah, and travel to Atletico Madrid, Sporting, Villarreal and Como. Liverpool host Atletico, Porto, Villarreal and Lens, with trips to Inter Milan, Club Brugge, Fenerbahce and LASK.

The league phase begins on Tuesday, September 8, and concludes on January 27, 2027. Exact fixture dates are due to be released on Saturday. Each Premier League team received four home matches and four away matches in the draw. The competition will end with the final at Madrid's Metropolitano Stadium on June 5, 2027.