PSG Drawn with Bayern and Barcelona as Champions League League Phase Promises Blockbusters

By Babatunji Wusu

• Holders PSG grouped with Bayern, Barcelona, Spurs, Newcastle, Atalanta & Leverkusen
• Real Madrid to face Man City, Liverpool, Juventus & debutants Kairat Almaty
• Arsenal land Bayern again; Liverpool face Inter, Atletico & Frankfurt
• 36-team league phase begins Sept 16, knockout rounds start in Feb, final May 30 in Budapest

Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain will face heavyweights Bayern Munich and Barcelona in the new-look league phase of this season’s competition, following Thursday’s draw that delivered several blockbuster clashes.

The French champions are also set to meet Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United, Atalanta and Bayer Leverkusen in the expanded format, which sees all 36 teams play eight matches — four home and four away.

Record 15-time winners Real Madrid will continue their rivalry with Manchester City for a fifth straight season and also face Liverpool, Juventus and Kazakhstan’s Kairat Almaty, who stunned Celtic in the playoffs to qualify for the first time.

Liverpool, last season’s league-phase leaders, have been handed a daunting schedule against Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid and Eintracht Frankfurt, while Bayern must also contend with Chelsea, Arsenal and Club Brugge.

Barcelona, semi-finalists last term, will play PSG at home and travel to Chelsea and Newcastle, while Arsenal once again clash with Bayern, having failed to beat the German giants in their last five meetings.

The Premier League boasts six representatives this season — Liverpool, Arsenal, City, Chelsea, Newcastle and Europa League winners Tottenham. Spurs will face Dortmund, Villarreal and PSG, while Serie A champions Napoli are set to meet Chelsea, City, Frankfurt and Benfica.

The league phase runs from September 16 to January 28, with the knockout rounds starting in February. The final will take place on May 30 at the Puskás Arena in Budapest.

Meanwhile, Chelsea received special recognition for becoming the first club to win every major UEFA competition, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic was honoured with the prestigious UEFA President’s Award.