Blockbuster matches in the Champions League phase

Blockbuster matches will be played in the league phase of the “Champions League”. 

The draw for the league phase, the main phase that replaces the group stage, was held on Thursday afternoon in Monaco.

The league phase features Europe’s 36 best teams. Each of them will play eight matches in the league phase. For the draw, the teams were divided into four different pots. And each team has two opponents from each pot.

Defending Champions League winners PSG will play Barcelona at home and Manchester City away. Paris’s other opponents are Roma, Aston Villa, Galatasaray, Villarreal, Slovan Bratislava and Como. 

German champions Bayern will play Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Real Betis, Manchester United, Bodo/Glimt, Lille, Slavia Prague and Viking.

Real Madrid will play Inter,  Arsenal, PSV, Roma, Leipzig, Shakhtar, LASK and AEK.

Barcelona’s opponents are Manchester City, Paris, Aston Villa, Sporting, Feyenoord, Galatasaray, Como and Sabah. 

In addition to Real Madrid and Bayern, Arsenal will play Dortmund, Real Betis, Lille, Napoli, Sabah and Slavia Prague.

The first matches of the league phase are on September 8. After eight rounds, a total of 24 teams advance. The top eight in the table go directly to the round of 16. Meanwhile, teams from ninth to 24th place advance from the league phase to the knockout-phase playoffs.