By Oliver Hopkins and Ali Tweedale
Thirty-six clubs in the Champions League now know who they will play in the league phase, but which team has the kindest draw and who has the toughest assignment?
Each side knows their eight opponents, but, given no two teams face the same set of opponents, this is not a level playing field.
We have used the Opta power rankings – which rank 16,000 teams from across the world on the same scale – to find out who did best in the draw.
Which Teams Have The Easiest Fixtures?
In terms of Premier League clubs, Liverpool have received the easiest draw.
Their eight opponents have an average rating of 90.0, making theirs the ninth-kindest fixture list overall. Atlético Madrid and Inter were the two easiest pot-one opponents Premier League clubs could draw and Liverpool will play them both – starting with Atlétco at home. They visit San Siro to face Inter in January.
Arsenal also received a relatively favourable draw, albeit for different reasons. Their pot-one fixtures against Bayern Munich (away) and Real Madrid (home) are about as difficult as they come – and they also drew Dortmund, the highest-ranked team in pot two – but, beyond those games and an opening trip to Napoli, there is little for them to fear.
Arsenal drew the two lowest-ranked sides in pot four: Sabah, who they host in their final group game, and Slovan Bratislava.
While the top end of their draw is tough, the bottom end is kind.
Stuttgart received the easiest draw, with their opponents having an average rating of 88.9.
Inter came out of the draw particularly well, receiving the second-easiest set of fixtures, with an average opponent rating of 89.5. Having finished as runners-up in 2024-25, Inter suffered a surprise exit at the hands of Bodø/Glimt in the playoff stage last season. Given their relatively easy schedule, they will hope to avoid that stage and qualify directly for the last 16.
Which Teams Have The Toughest Fixtures?
Manchester City will begin a Champions League campaign without Pep Guardiola for the first time in 11 years. His replacement, Enzo Maresca, has been handed the most difficult fixture list of any Premier League club.
City’s opponents have an average rating of 91.7, with only five teams receiving a tougher draw overall.
They have drawn two European giants in pot one – Barcelona and PSG – while Napoli are a particularly difficult assignment from pot three.
City begin at Porto and then host PSG in their second game; Napoli (at home) and Barça (away) are back-to-back November fixtures.
Aston Villa also drew Barcelona and PSG from pot one, although they have fond memories of their previous meeting with the European champions at Villa Park. Villa won the second leg of their quarter-finals 3-2 at home in April 2025, falling just short over the tie as they lost 5-4 on aggregate.
Villa’s squad has changed significantly since then, however, and they were also given the toughest possible pair of opponents from pot two in Club Brugge, who they visit in their first game, and Dortmund.
Their opponents from the lower pots are more forgiving, but Unai Emery will need to work his European magic if a squad that has undergone significant churn this summer is to make another deep run in the competition.
They at least have time to settle before hosting PSG and Dortmund in their final home games of the league phase.
Manchester United are back in the Champions League for the first time since 2023-24. Their previous campaign did not go particularly well, losing four of their six games and finishing bottom of their group.
Their draw this season is not disastrous, but it is definitely on the more difficult side.
They face Bayern Munich and Atlético Madrid from pot one and have drawn Como – the most difficult opponent in pot four.
Fixtures against Sporting CP and Roma should also be highly competitive, while United drew RB Leipzig and Villarreal from pot three.
They were not the worst possible outcomes, but there were certainly plenty of more favourable draws available. United open at home to Sabah, but then face trips to Atlético and Como before Roma travel to Old Trafford.
It is no surprise to see Sabah and Slavia Prague emerge with the hardest and third-hardest fixture lists, respectively.
Beyond those two, Lens received a particularly difficult draw, with their opponents’ average rating at 92.1. Atlético Madrid were not far behind on 92.0.
