UEFA Champions League Draw 2025/26: Liverpool Face Brutal Test
The Champions League draw for the 2025/26 season is complete—and Liverpool have landed one of the toughest possible paths. Europe’s road just became far more treacherous for the Reds.
UEFA’s new league-phase format, introduced last year, features 36 clubs playing eight matches each. Teams face two opponents from each seeding pot—one home, one away—with no clashes allowed between sides from the same country. The draw took place on August 28, 2025, at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco.
Liverpool, placed in Pot 1 alongside Europe’s heavyweights—PSG, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Inter, Dortmund, Chelsea, Manchester City and Barcelona—are guaranteed tough fixtures. Analysts have already highlighted a worst-case scenario that would pit them against PSG, Barcelona, Atlético Madrid, Juventus, Napoli, Marseille, Galatasaray and Qarabağ. Such a gauntlet would test even the strongest squad.
Simulations ahead of the ceremony offered little comfort, often pairing Liverpool with Real Madrid, Dortmund, Ajax and Monaco. Reality has proven no kinder.
The revamped format ensures every club faces eight unique, high-stakes encounters. For Liverpool, it means constant showdowns with Europe’s elite, where every point could define their season. After last year’s heartbreak against PSG, the Reds know there will be no easy nights.
The campaign kicks off in mid-September. For Liverpool, each fixture may feel like a final. Survival in this league phase will demand consistency, resilience, and moments of brilliance.
This isn’t a routine group stage. It’s a trial by fire. And Liverpool must prove once again they belong among Europe’s very best.
