Dream fixtures await as Europe's elite learn their fate in Monaco

The draw for the league phase of the 2026-27 Champions League took place in Monaco this evening, serving up a mouth-watering menu of fixtures that will run from matchday one on 8-10 September through until the new year. With the bracket fresh in their minds, The Athletic's experts have broken down the ties they cannot wait to see, the sides most at risk of elimination, and made their bravest top-eight predictions.

The ties the pundits are circling

James Horncastle has his eyes fixed firmly on the Roma vs Real Madrid tie as Jose Mourinho returns to the Eternal City. "He left the club's Trigoria in tears after the Friedkins flew in under the cover of darkness and sacked him two and a half years ago," Horncastle recalled. "It is hard to overstate how loved Mourinho is in Rome." He added that Gian Piero Gasperini "has achieved what the Friedkins dearly desired: long-overdue Champions League qualification," making for "a magnificent occasion at the Olimpico." Horncastle also flagged Champions League debutants Como welcoming PSG alongside Cesc Fabregas's return to the Camp Nou.

Seb Stafford-Bloor nominated Arsenal vs Real Madrid as his pick. "An obvious pick, but a worthy one," he said. "Think about that front three — Diomande, Vinicius Junior, Mbappe — if he has been woven into the side by then. Arsenal's defence can expect to face the fire that night."

Cerys Jones highlighted Paris Saint-Germain vs Barcelona, a replay of that thrilling 2024 quarter-final when PSG came from behind over two legs. There is a subplot built in: "Goncalo Ramos scored the Parisians' last-minute winner" last year, and now "Torres has effectively taken his place in Paris and will be stepping out with a point to prove."

Tim Spiers, meanwhile, fancied a repeat of the Super Cup: Aston Villa vs Paris Saint-Germain at Villa Park. "It's a repeat of that brilliant quarter-final, coming from 2-0 down on the night to win 3-2, but falling one goal short of forcing extra time. The atmosphere that night was otherworldly."

Which big side could miss the last 32?

Liam Tharme fears for Aston Villa, who earned this spot by winning the Europa League. "So many departures and squad churn manifested horribly on matchday one, when they were down 4-0 away to Brighton." Emma Paton echoed the fear for Atletico Madrid, warning of what happens if they lose Julian Alvarez, with a brutal schedule that takes them to Bayern and Anfield as well as Bodo, while Horncastle saw danger for RB Leipzig under freshly installed coach Martin Demichelis. Stafford-Bloor doubted Manchester United's depth amid a tough draw featuring Bayern, Atletico and trips to Como and Sporting.

Dark horses, debutants and the new look of the format

Horncastle backed Roma as his dark horse, while Paton stuck her neck out for Como. "Cesc Fabregas's side finished fourth in Serie A last season, their best finish since 1952, and they're a team with nothing to lose." Jones flagged Atletico Madrid as a genuine final threat, while Spiers pointed at a returning Fenerbahce.

Among the names tipped to emerge, Pio Esposito of Inter and PSG's Senny Mayulu stood out, alongside Dortmund's big Greek signing Konstantinos Karetsas and Bayern's Nathaniel Brown. Jones said of Mayulu: "He's played just shy of 500 minutes in the competition over two seasons and managed four goals, including the fifth in PSG's rout of Inter in the 2025 final."

On the vexed question of the new format, opinions ranged from Tharme's mixed feelings to Jones' wholehearted embrace. "The lack of jeopardy is quite jarring, as is the fact that the table does not really make any sense until the final round," Tharme conceded, before conceding the extra play-off round is "a bit of a yawn." Spiers, more generous, called it "a success, which is annoying because it was only introduced for scurrilous financial reasons," even while hailing Benfica 'keeper Anatoliy Trubin's late winner against Real Madrid as a jaw-dropping moment.

A the The The and then the top eight predictions

The panel each submitted their projected top eight:

• Tharme: Arsenal, Bayern, Inter, Barcelona, Man City, Dortmund, Atletico Madrid, PSG
• Horncastle: Arsenal, PSG, Bayern, Barcelona, Inter, Real Madrid, Man City, Roma
• Jones: PSG, Arsenal, Bayern, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico, Inter, Dortmund
• Stafford-Bloor: Bayern, PSG, Arsenal, Real Madrid, Man City, Dortmund, Barcelona, Atletico
• Spiers: Barcelona, Bayern, Arsenal, Real Madrid, PSG, Atletico, Inter, Lens
• Paton: Arsenal, PSG, Bayern, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Inter, Man City, Dortmund