Simulated Champions League Draw Presents Tough Tests for English Clubs
A mock draw of the upcoming UEFA Champions League has been conducted, and it has produced some challenging fixtures for the English clubs involved.
The actual draw for the league stage of Europe’s top club competition will be held at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco, France. This will be the second year the tournament uses its new league-style format.
Introduced to increase competitiveness and excitement, the revamped format features 36 teams playing eight group-stage matches from September to January — four at home and four away. No team will play more than two consecutive home or away games.
English clubs — Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea, Newcastle, and Tottenham — are all part of the league stage. Teams have been divided into four pots based on their UEFA coefficient rankings. Each team will face two sides from each pot (one home and one away), and clubs cannot be drawn against others from their own country or face more than two teams from the same nation.
Using these rules, SPORTbible simulated the draw, producing several exciting matchups for the Premier League sides.
Simulated Fixtures for English Clubs
Liverpool
Home: Atalanta, Bodo Glimt, Borussia Dortmund, Pafos
Away: Real Madrid, Club Brugge, Union SG, Marseille
Liverpool, placed in Pot 1 after topping last season’s league table, have a relatively manageable set of matches. However, a tough away game against 15-time champions Real Madrid on Matchday 2 stands out.
Arsenal
Home: Pafos, Villarreal, Copenhagen
Away: PSV Eindhoven, Borussia Dortmund, Napoli, Real Madrid, Club Brugge
Last year’s semi-finalists, Arsenal are in Pot 2. They begin their campaign against Pafos and PSV — whom they comfortably beat last season — before facing a difficult double away trip to Napoli and Real Madrid.
Manchester City
Home: Benfica, Inter Milan, Athletic Club
Away: PSG, Monaco, Slavia Prague, PSV Eindhoven, Bayer Leverkusen
After a disappointing Champions League run last season, City face a tough path ahead. Their simulated draw includes familiar foes such as PSG, Inter, and Slavia, and a potentially decisive final game against Bayer Leverkusen.
Chelsea
Home: Villarreal, Napoli, Kairat, Barcelona
Away: Qarabag, Juventus, Sporting CP, Bayern Munich
Back in Europe’s elite competition, Chelsea have a favorable start but will need to accumulate points early before finishing against European heavyweights Bayern and Barcelona.
Newcastle United
Home: Marseille, Qarabag, Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid
Away: Galatasaray, Sporting CP, PSG, Juventus
Newcastle return to Champions League action, likely without striker Alexander Isak. Their campaign includes marquee clashes with Bayern, PSG, Juventus, and Atletico, and begins with a difficult away trip to Galatasaray in Istanbul.
Tottenham Hotspur
Home: Bodo Glimt, Bayer Leverkusen, Barcelona, Union SG
Away: Copenhagen, Inter Milan, Ajax, Benfica
The Europa League finalists will be pleased with this simulated draw, featuring top sides like Barcelona, Inter, and Benfica. Spurs start their campaign with two Scandinavian opponents, Bodo Glimt and Copenhagen.
2025/26 Champions League Calendar
League Phase
Matchday 1: 16–18 September 2025
Matchday 2: 30 September–1 October 2025
Matchday 3: 21/22 October 2025
Matchday 4: 4/5 November 2025
Matchday 5: 25/26 November 2025
Matchday 6: 9/10 December 2025
Matchday 7: 20/21 January 2026
Matchday 8: 28 January 2026
Knockout Rounds
Play-offs: 17/18 & 24/25 February 2026
Round of 16: 10/11 & 17/18 March 2026
Quarter-finals: 7/8 & 14/15 April 2026
Semi-finals: 28/29 April & 5/6 May 2026
Final: 30 May 2026, Budapest
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