Bayern, Dortmund, Leipzig and Stuttgart drawn into tough 2026/27 Champions League groups; Hoffenheim, Leverkusen and Freiburg target Europe's other trophies
Bundesliga clubs face demanding European campaign in 2026/27
Four Bundesliga clubs will contest the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League, with Hoffenheim and Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League and Freiburg in the Conference League. The fixture lists, published by bundesliga.com, include some of the most attractive ties of the league phase.
Bayern Munich: Arsenal, Atlético and Manchester United await
Bayern, who reached last season's semi-finals before being knocked out by eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain, will host the beaten finalists and English Premier League champions Arsenal on 21 October 2026. They also travel to Atlético Madrid and Manchester United, and face Lille, Slavia Prague and Real Betis.
Bayern's opening league-phase matchday produced a 5-0 win over Bodø/Glimt, with Michael Olise scoring twice, and a 3-3 draw away at Viking.
Borussia Dortmund: London trip to Arsenal and clash with Aston Villa
Dortmund also face Arsenal, but in London rather than at Signal Iduna Park. Their other eye-catching fixtures include a home game against Inter Milan and a trip to Birmingham to face Aston Villa, the 2025/26 UEFA Europa League winners. Dortmund also meet Real Betis and AEK Athens.
Dortmund began with a 3-2 home win over Villarreal, with Serhou Guirassy scoring twice, and then beat Bodø/Glimt 1-0 away from home thanks to Sjøvold's goal... Note: their first league-phase result was a 1-0 win away at Sabah? The results listed for Dortmund in the source are a 3-2 win over Villarreal and a 1-0 win at Bodø/Glimt.
RB Leipzig: a difficult return to Europe
Leipzig return to European football with a demanding draw. New coach Martín Demichelis faces his former club Manchester City on 4 November 2026, and the group also includes Real Madrid, Manchester United, Lens, Shakhtar Donetsk and Feyenoord. Leipzig began with a 4-1 defeat at Como and a 1-0 win over PSV Eindhoven.
VfB Stuttgart: second Champions League campaign in three seasons
Stuttgart, about to embark on their second Champions League campaign in the last three seasons, host Atlético Madrid on 20 October 2026 and travel to Inter Milan on 25 November 2026. They also face Galatasaray, Lille, Club Brugge and PSV Eindhoven. Stuttgart opened with a 3-1 win over Viking and a 3-0 victory away at Slovan Bratislava.
Hoffenheim and Leverkusen in the Europa League
Hoffenheim open their league phase away at OFI Crete on 17 September 2026 and host Beşiktaş, Lyon and Ferencváros, with trips to Crystal Palace, Anderlecht and Olympiacos. Bayer Leverkusen begin at home to Celje on 16 September 2026 and face Marseille, Beşiktaş and Red Bull Salzburg, with away matches at Lech Poznań, OFI Crete and Dinamo Zagreb before a final-day trip to Lyon.
Freiburg in the Conference League
Freiburg, beaten Europa League finalists last season, will compete in the Conference League after beating Scotland's Motherwell 7-2 on aggregate in their play-off tie. They host Jablonec and Twente and face Monaco, Trabzonspor, Panathinaikos and Kauno Žalgiris.
Key dates
The Champions League league phase runs from 8-10 September 2026 to 27 January 2027, with the knockout play-offs on 16/17 and 23/24 February 2027. The final takes place on 5 June 2027 at the Estadio Metropolitano in Madrid. The Europa League final will be held on 26 May 2027 at Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt, while the Conference League final is scheduled for 2 June 2027 at Beşiktaş Stadium in Istanbul.