Champions League League Phase Kicks Off: Liverpool Host Atletico, Arsenal Face Napoli

The 2026/27 Champions League league phase kicks off Tuesday, with Aston Villa opening their campaign away at Club Brugge and Manchester City travelling to Porto, before English clubs take centre stage on matchday one's second night.

Tuesday's schedule also features a heavyweight clash as Real Madrid host Inter, alongside AEK Athens vs LASK, Borussia Dortmund vs Villarreal and Lille vs Real Betis. On Wednesday, Liverpool begin their title defence at home to Atletico Madrid, while Arsenal travel to Napoli looking to build on their perfect domestic start. Barcelona host Feyenoord and PSG face Slovan Bratislava the same night, with Manchester United's campaign following on Thursday against Azerbaijani side Sabah.

Under the expanded 36-team league phase format, each club plays eight different opponents across two matches from each of four seeding pots, with the top eight automatically advancing to the round of 16 and the next 16 entering a knockout play-off round. The league phase runs across eight matchdays through to January 27, 2027, with holders PSG drawn to visit both Manchester City and Aston Villa later in the campaign.

Arsenal's continued perfect domestic form and Chelsea's defensive struggles add extra intrigue to the opening round, with all five English clubs looking to start their European campaigns on the front foot.