The Champions League draw took place at Grimaldi Forum in Monaco on Thursday, seeing French legend Thierry Henry and Spanish star David Villa unravel the fates of the 36 competing teams across Europe.
Each club, all competing in one big, shared table, learned the eight opponents they will face in the first stage of the showpiece event between September and January—playing in four home and four away games.
There are rules regarding who a team can and cannot meet in the league phase. For example, clubs cannot compete against opponents from their own country, while they must be drawn against two opponents from each seeding pot (1–4), which were groupings determined on UEFA coefficient—a ranking system based on performance from the last five years. Inevitably, though, not all draws were created equal.
Some teams will have a much tougher time than others to achieve a top-24 spot in the table and, thus, advance to the next round. The top eight of those 24 receive a direct bye to the round of 16, while other 16 teams must battle for the remaining spots in a two-legged playoff round.
The Opta supercomputer has been whirring, crunching the numbers for which teams have the kindest and cruelest draws per their opponents’ power rankings. Last season, Bayern Munich (92.9 average opponent rating) and Paris Saint-Germain (92.7) entered with the two statistically-toughest draws. Both went on to defy the odds, with PSG winning their second-consecutive crown, while Bayern reached the semifinals before ultimately being eliminated by the French powerhouse.
Both teams will be clawing for global glory come May, but this time around, they will have to contend with the likes of reigning Premier League champions Arsenal and Spanish back-to-back champions Barcelona from the very first stage.
Here’s how the full 2026–27 schedule stacks up.
Easiest 2026–27 Champions League Draws
| Team | Avg. Opp. Rating | Notable Fixture |
|---|---|---|
| Stuttgart | 88.9 | Atlético Madrid (H) |
| Inter Milan | 89.5 | Real Madrid (A) |
| Fenerbahçe | 89.6 | Liverpool (H) |
| Shakhtar Donetsk | 89.6 | Real Madrid (H) |
| Slovan Bratislava | 89.7 | Paris Saint-Germain (A) |
| Porto | 89.8 | Manchester City (H) |
| PSV Eindhoven | 89.9 | Real Madrid (A) |
| Real Madrid | 90.0 | Arsenal (A) |
| Liverpool | 90.0 | Inter Milan (Away) |
| Viking | 90.2 | Bayern Munich (H) |
| LASK | 90.2 | Liverpool (H) |
| Roma | 90.5 | Paris Saint-Germain (A) |
| AEK Athens | 90.5 | Manchester City (A) |
| Feyenoord | 90.7 | Barcelona (A) |
| Borussia Dortmund | 90.7 | Arsenal (A) |
| Arsenal | 90.8 | Bayern Munich (A) |
| RB Leipzig | 90.8 | Real Madrid (A) |
| Barcelona | 90.8 | Paris Saint-Germain (A) |
Andoni Iraola will have a spring in his step this morning, after the new Liverpool manager received a very kind league phase slate (90.0 opponent average rating), the easiest of any of the competing Premier League teams. Per Opta’s power rankings, Atlético Madrid and Inter Milan were the two easiest opponents from the behemoths of Pot 1, and Liverpool drew them both.
José Mourinho will also be quite pleased, as Real Madrid drew favorably (90.0 opponent average rating). Sure, Los Blancos have to contend with Arsenal right off the bat at the Emirates, but the 15-time winners should have confidence facing against their other opponents. Inter Milan is a potentially tricky clash, but Mourinho will face his former employers at the Bernabéu.
Hardest 2026–27 Champions League Draws
| Team | Avg. Opponent Rating | Notable Fixture |
|---|---|---|
| Sabah | 92.2 | Arsenal (A) |
| Lens | 92.1 | Liverpool (A) |
| Slavia Prague | 92.0 | Bayern Munich (A) |
| Atlético Madrid | 92.0 | Bayern Munich (H) |
| Club Brugge | 91.7 | Inter Milan (A) |
| Manchester City | 91.7 | Paris Saint-Germain (H) |
| Napoli | 91.4 | Arsenal (H) |
| Lille | 91.3 | Bayern Munich (H) |
| Bodo/Glimt | 91.2 | Bayern Munich (H) |
| Real Betis | 91.2 | Arsenal (H) |
| Aston Villa | 91.2 | Barcelona (A) |
| Villarreal | 91.1 | Paris Saint-Germain (H) |
| Galatasaray | 91.1 | Paris Saint-Germain (A) |
| Paris Saint-Germain | 91.1 | Barcelona (H) |
| Como | 91.0 | Barcelona (A) |
| Bayern Munich | 91.0 | Arsenal (H) |
| Manchester United | 90.8 | Bayern Munich (H) |
| Sporting CP | 90.8 | Manchester City (A) |
Enzo Maresca has his work cut out for him. Filling the giant shoes of Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, the Italian also has the toughest Champions League draw of any of the Premier League teams. Erling Haaland and Co. must face two European heavyweights right off the bat, taking on Barcelona at Camp Nou before welcoming titleholders PSG to the Etihad. Pot 2’s Sporting CP will also not be a walk in the park, advancing to the quarterfinals in last year’s competition and going toe-to-toe with Arsenal.
It also won’t be an easy journey for Unai Emery’s Aston Villa. They drew both Barcelona and PSG from Pot 1, yet they will hope to defeat the defending champions at Villa Park as they did in 2024–25. The Villans are also up against Borussia Dortmund and Club Brugge, the two statistically-hardest teams of their options from Pot 2.
READ THE LATEST CHAMPIONS LEAGUE NEWS, PREVIEWS AND PLAYER RATINGS
READ THE LATEST CHAMPIONS LEAGUE NEWS, ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT FROM SI FC
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