Champions League draw pits PSG against Barcelona, Manchester City and Roma in league phase
The UEFA Champions League league phase draw set the stage for high-profile clashes as Paris Saint-Germain will host Barcelona and travel to England, according to reports from Monaco on Thursday. PSG, the defending champions, also face Manchester City, Aston Villa, and AS Roma in their eight opponents, with four home and four away fixtures.
Slavia Prague’s schedule includes home matches against Arsenal, Aston Villa, Villarreal, and Lens, while their away games take them to Bayern Munich, Porto, Fenerbahçe, and Sabah Baku. Bayern Munich, a six-time European champion, will host Slavia at the Allianz Arena.
In the Europa League, Omonia Nicosia secured qualification to the league phase after a 4-2 victory over Sint-Truiden, overturning a 1-0 first-leg deficit. French striker Louis Diony scored a hat-trick for Henning Berg’s team.
The Conference League draw also saw several teams advance, including Ajax, who qualified with a 5-3 win over FC Sion. Tolu Arokodare scored twice for Ajax, solidifying his role as a key forward. FC Twente completed a comeback against Qarabag to qualify, while Hajduk Split reached the group stage for the first time in 16 years after a 2-2 aggregate draw with Raków, decided by Rokas Pukštas’ extra-time winner.
In domestic action, Barcelona took the La Liga lead with a 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao, with goals from Raphinha and Fermín López. Hansi Flick’s side debuted new signing Rodri, while Raphinha operated as a false nine.
The Bundesliga season begins this weekend, with Bayern Munich starting their title defense as favorites. Meanwhile, Chelsea signed goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez from Aston Villa for £7.5 million, according to reports.
The Champions League league phase features a new format for the third consecutive season, with 36 teams in a single league. The top eight advance directly to the knockout stage, while teams ranked 9-24 enter a playoff for the remaining spots. The first matchdays are scheduled for Sept. 8-10, Oct. 13-14, and Oct. 20-21.
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