The Champions Blog: 2025-26 Preview

THE CHAMPIONS BLOG 

After a long and restful summer break, the Champions League is back and ready to rock Europe once again. After summer full of transfers and departures, as well as the start and end of club eras, the clubs are ready to rev up and look to etch their names into Champions League folklore. This is only the second season of the new League Phase and it looks to provide just as the League Phase draw has provided us with some fierce clashes already making headlines across Europe. With the first set of matches just a couple weeks away, let's look into the teams who've qualified and who they're set to face. For the first time this season, this is the Champions Blog. 

Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) 

Bayern Munich (h)
Barcelona (a) 
Atalanta (h)
Bayer Leverkusen (a) 
Tottenham Hotspurs (h)
Sporting CP (a)
Newcastle (h)
Athletic Bilbao (a)

PSG enter the new season as the newly crowned champions of Europe, winning the Champions League for the first time last season, as well as ending France's long wait for the Champions League since Marseille back in 1993. Under Luis Enrique, PSG transformed from a star-studded side to a youthful, energetic team, lead by Ballon D'or front runner, Ousmane Dembélé, with key players like Desiré Doué, Vitinha, João Gomes, and captain Marquinhos. Summer signings include Ligue 1 goalkeeper of the season, Lucas Chevalier and Illia Zabaryni. After also winning the UEFA Super Cup, PSG, fresh off a treble, are no longer the underdogs but are now the team to beat. 

PSG have been handed with arguably the toughest draw of all the teams, as they're scheduled to face the reigning Bundesliga and La Liga champions, Bayern Munich and Barcelona. In addition, they'll face the 2024 Europa League finalists in Atalanta and Bayer Leverkusen, including a rematch of the Super Cup final earlier this month with Tottenham, including a trip to Bilbao and a home game against Newcastle. Overall, PSG have arguably been handed the toughest draw, but I doubt it will stop PSG from asbolutely running away with it. After all, the are the reigning European champions. 

The Champions Blog Predicts: SEMI-FINALISTS/FINALISTS 

Picture Above: PSG players celebrating their victory in the UEFA Super Cup in Udine against Tottenham Hotspurs. 

Liverpool (ENG)

Real Madrid (h)
Inter Milan (a)
Atletico Madrid (h)
Eintratch Frankfurt (a)
PSV Eindhoven (h)
Marseille (a)
Qarabağ (h)

Galatasaray (a)

Liverpool ended their five season wait for the Premier League last season and return to the Champions League looking rejuvinated and hungry. Despite the domestic domination and domination of the league phase, becoming the first ever winners of the league phase, the Reds fell short on penalties to eventual winners, PSG in the Round of 16. The summer saw a major squad refresh, with the likes of Florian Writz, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, Hugo Ekitike and just recently, Alexander Isak joined the club, while club favourites, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Luis Diaz and Darwin Nuñez left the club. The team also mourns the loss of Diogo Jota, who sadly passed away in a car crash in early July. Yet, under Arne Slot, the squad balances youth and experience, with Salah and van Dijk leading the squad to hopefully another European title. 

In the draw, Liverpool were handed both Madrid teams, in Real and Atletico, both of which they will host at Anfield, as well as making trips to Milan and Frankfurt, to face last season's finalists, Inter, and the 2022 Europa League winners, and Hugo Ekitike's former club, Eintratch Frankfurt. The Reds will also host PSV Eindhoven, the only team they lost to in the league phase last season, as well as taking a trip to Mediterranean coast to face Marseille. Finally, a trip to Istanbul is also on the cards as the Reds will take on Galatasaray as well as hosting Azerbaijani side, Qarabağ, who were making only their second appearance in the competition. Overall, we should see Liverpool making it out of the league phase, and hopefully, make a serious bid for the Champions League this season. 

The Champions Blog Predicts: SEMI-FINALISTS/FINALISTS 

Picture Above: Liverpool captain, Virgil van Dijk, lifting the Premier League trophy for Liverpool as they won their first Premier League title since 2019/20. 

Bayern Munich (GER)

Chelsea (h)
Paris Saint Germain (a)
Club Brugge (h)
Arsenal (a)

Sporting CP (h)
PSV Eindhoven (a)
Union Saint-Gilloise (h)

Pafos (a)

One year after losing their crown to Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern are back on their perch as the newly crowned Bundesliga champions and go into the new season looking refreshed, recharged and back to their dominating best. After capping off a dominating Bundesliga season in style under Vincent Kompany, Bayern look to at least contend for a final, having being defeated in the quarter finals last time out to eventual finalists, Inter Milan. As for the squad, Bayern had to deal with some emotional farewells as club legend, Thomas Müller left the club after 17 years with his boyhood club, with the veteran leaving the club for Canada to play for Vancouver Whitecaps. Furthermore, Kingsley Coman also left the club after 10 years to join Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia. However, the German giants brought in Luis Diaz from Liverpool for 70 million euros and Nicolas Jackson on loan from Chelsea. Under Vincent Kompany, Bayern look dangerous again and look to make a serious push into continental success this season. 

For this season, Bayern Munich were drawn with old foes in Chelsea, with an exact remtach of the 2012 final at the Allianz Arena the first game for Kompany's side, as well as taking an away trip to the City of Lights, to take on defending champions, PSG. As well as this, the Bavarians will be tested with a trip to North London to take on Arsenal. As well as hosting PSV and a trip to Lisbon to take on the reigning Portuguese champions, Bayern will also take on tournament debutants in Union Saint-Gilloise and Pafos, making a trip to Cyprus to face the latter. Overall, Bayern's first hurdle should test Kompany's men, but we should see Bayern comfortably qualify for the last 16 directly, making it out of what should be a relatively comfortable route. 

The Champions Blog Predicts: QUARTER-FINALISTS/SEMI-FINALISTS

Picture Above: New Bayern Munich recruit, Luis Díaz lifting the DFL Supercup, which was Bayern's first trophy of the season. 

Villareal (ESP) 

Manchester City (h)
Borussia Dortmund (a)
Juventus (h)
Bayer Leverkusen (a)

Ajax (h)
Tottenham Hotspurs (a)

København (h)

Pafos (a)

Three seasons after their miracle run in the 2021/22 season, Villareal are back in the Champions League for 2025/26, qualifying for the tournament via Spain's extra team coefficient. Over the years, the Yellow Submarine have proven to be one of Europe's most resilient and technically gifted sides, with most notably, winning the Europa League five years ago. Under Marcelino, they look disciplined, organized, and ready to cause a majot upset in Europe this season. This summer, Villareal let go of their vice-captain, Álex Baena to Atletico Madrid, Thierno Barry to Everton, and Yeremy Pino to Crystal Palace. Despite not splashing the cash much over the summer, Villareal notably signed Thomas Partey for free from Arsenal and Georges Mikautdze from Lyon to strengthen their midfield and attack. The club also still has it's talisman, Gerard Moreno and despite not having the biggest stars in Spain, Villareal's chemistry and tactical cohesion make them look like a dangerous team.

As for Villareal's opponents, Marcelino's men will host English heavyweights, Manchester City, as well as making a trip to northwestern Germany to take on Borussia Dortmund. The Yellow Submarine will also host Juventus and Ajax, as well as making trips to Leverkusen and North London to face Bayer Leverkusen and reigning Europa League champions, Tottenham Hotspurs. Their journey also involves a trip to Cyprus to face tournament debutants, Pafos as well as hosting Danish champions, København. Overall, Marcelino's mens path isn't easy; but, considering their miracle run to the semi finals in the 2021/22 season, we all know Villareal can cause a major upset and can cause problems for bigger names this season. 

The Champions Blog Predicts: ROUND OF 16/QUARTER FINALS 

Picture Above: Villareal celebrating their Champions League qualification at the end of last season

Tottenham Hotspurs (ENG)

Borussia Dortmund (h)

Paris Saint-Germain (a)
Villareal (h)

Eintracth Frankfurt (a)

Slavia Praha (h)

Bodø/Glimt (a)

København (h)

Monaco (a)

Last season, Tottenham finally ended their 17-year trophy drought, defeating the likes of AZ Alkmaar, Eintracth Frankfurt, and Bodø/Glimt en route to a Europa League final win over Manchester United in Bilbao, with the lone goal from Brennan Johnson securing their first major trophy since 2008 and third Europa League overall. Despite their triumph, Spurs ended their worst ever Premier League season, finishing 17th with 38 points, leading to Ange Postecoglou's sacking. Ex-Brentford manager, Thomas Frank took over the club, beginning his Spurs tenure with a Champions League journey courtesy of their Europa League win. Over the summer, Spurs bid farewell to captain and club legend, Hueng-min Son, though the arrivals of Mohamed Kudus from West Ham and Joao Palhinha on loan from Bayern Munich offer hope for a revival. 

As in terms of opponents, Tottenham will travel to the City of Lights and take on reigning champions, PSG in a rematch of the UEFA Super Cup final last month, as well as hosting Borussia Dortmund in North London. Spurs will also face some opponents they previously faced off against en route to victory in Bilbao, as they'll revisit Eintracth Frankfurt and Bodø/Glimt, the latter making their debut in the competition, as well as welcoming Villareal and Slavia Praha to North London. Meanwhile, they'll host København at home while making a journey to the French Riviera to take on Monaco. Overall, it should be a good task for Thomas Frank and we should see Tottenham racking up some points as they look to bid for a direct place for the last 16. Who knows? Maybe we could see another miracle run like their 2018/19 campaign. 

The Champions Blog Predicts: ROUND OF 16/QUARTER FINALS

Picture Above: Tottenham winning the Europa League last season, winning their first major honour since 2008. 

Bodø/Glimt (NOR)

Manchester City (h)

Borussia Dortmund (a)
Juventus (h)

Atletico Madrid (a)

Tottenham Hotspurs (h)

Slava Praha (a)

Monaco  (h)

Galatasaray (a)

Now here's a new name in the Champions League. Reigning Norweigan champions, Bodø/Glimt look set to make their Champions League debut, becoming the first side from the Arctic to play in the competition. The only thing standing in the way of qualification was Sturm Graz of Austria, who they comfortably defeated 6-2 on aggregate to qualify for the Champions League for the first time. Last season, Bodø/Glimt has a European fairytale, as they reached the Europa League semi-finals, becoming the first Norweigan side to qualify for a European semi-final, defeating the likes of Twente, Olympiacos, and even Lazio, before bowing out to eventual champions, Tottenham. 

However this season, it's all about the Champions League, as the Norweigan champions have a huge task to comply ahead of this season. The Norweigans will welcome Pep Guardiola's Manchester City and Igor Tudor's Juventus to the Arctic. They'll also travel to Dortmund and Madrid to face Borussia Dortmund and Atletico Madrid respectively. They'll also host old foes in Tottenham Hotspurs, the team who beat the Norweigans in the semi finals, looking to get revenge on the Londoners when they host them. Bodø/Glimt will also travel to Prague and Istanbul, to take on Slavia Praha and Galatasary respectively, as well as hosting Monaco in Bodø. With such a daunting task ahead of them, Kjetil Knutsen's men will be tested both physically and mentally, facing the ultimate test of their European credentials as they look to establish themselves among Europe's elite 

The Champions Blog Predicts: LEAGUE PHASE/KNOCKOUT ROUND PLAY-OFFS

Picture Above: A team photo of Bodø/Glimt ahead of their Champions League play-off match against SK Sturm Graz

Newcastle (ENG)

Barcelona (h)

Paris Saint-Germain (a)

Benfica (h)

Bayer Levekursen (a)

PSV Eindhoven (h)

Marseille (a)

Athletic Bilbao (h)

Union Saint-Gilloise (a)

After a one-year absence, Eddie Howe's Newcastle are back within Europe's elite, and for the second time in three seasons, Newcastle are a Champions League team. After narrowly missing out last season, the Magpies bounced back and qualified in 5th place, qualifying basis on England's UEFA coefficient ranking. Last season had been one to remember for the Magpies as they ended their 70-year wait for a major trophy, winning the EFL Cup in March, before qualifying for the Champions League again. Over the summer, star striker, Alexander Isak left the club for a British transfer record to Liverpool, but have brought in notable players, including Nick Woltemade from Stuttgart, signing for Newcastle for a club record fee. Elsewhere, Newcastle also signed Anthony Elanga, Malick Thiaw, Jacob Ramsey, and Yoane Wissa, adding more firepower to their already star-stackes sqaud.

In terms of the draw, Newcastle have been handed with one of the most toughest draws in the Champions League this season. Following the draw in Monaco, Eddie Howe's side have been drawn against Barcelona, who they'll face on the opening night, as well as making a trip to Paris to face reigning champions, PSG. They'll also travel to Leverkusen and Marseille to take on Kasper Hjulmand's Bayer Leverkusen and Roberto De Zerbi's Marseille. As well as this, they'll host Benfica and PSV, while making a journey to Brussels to take on trounament debutants. They'll also host Ernesto Valverde's Athletic Bilbao at St James' Park. Newcastle's path through the league phase will be anything but straightforward, with no shortage of European heavyweights on the agenda for the Magpies. However, these matches would also prove if they can make their mark among Europe's most elite. 

The Champions Blog Predicts: KNOCKOUT ROUND PLAY-OFFS/ROUND OF 16

Picture Above: Newcastle players Champions League qualification on the final day of the Premier League last season

Kairat Almaty (KAZ)

Real Madrid (h)

Inter Milan (a)

Club Brugge (h)

Arsenal (a)

Olympiacos (h)

Sporting CP (a)

Pafos (h)

København (a)

This season, Kazakhstan made Champions Leagus history when Kairat Almaty became Kazakhstan's first team to qualify for the Champions League Phase, and the first Kazakh team to qualify for the Champions League since Astana back in the 2015/16 season. The Kazakhs qualified after defeating Olimpija Ljulbljana, Kuopion Pallosuera, Slovan Bratislava, and most notably, Celtic to make it to their first ever Champions League appearance. Kairat's Champions League appearance is a landmark moment for Kazakh football, as Kairat Almaty will become the eastern most team to ever play in the Champions League. 

Kairat Almaty's draw saw them paired against Real Madrid, with the 15-time champions making a journey to Almaty for a historic night in the club's history They'll also take trips to the San Siro and the Emirates to face Inter Milan and Arsenal, with both journeys representing daunting tasks ahead of them. Meanwhile, they'll also welcome Club Brugge and Olympiacos to Almaty, as an away journey to Sporting CP will prove to be the longest away journey in Champions League history, travelling 6900km to Lisbon. The Kazakhs will also host fellow tournament debutants, Pafos while a daunting away trip to Denmark to face København is also on the cards. Overall, Kairat's maiden Champions League journey will be gruesome for their players and staff, but who know? We could see an underdog story from the debutants and they face the biggest test in their history.

The Champions Blog Predicts: LEAGUE PHASE/KNOCKOUT ROUND PLAY-OFFS

Picture Above: Kairat Almaty players and staff celebrating their win over Celtic in the play-off round

Pafos (CYP)

Bayern Munich (h)

Chelsea (a)

Villareal (h)

Juventus (a)

Slavia Praha (h)

Olympiacos (a)

Monaco (h)

Kairat Almaty (a)

Now here's a major story in the Champions League. Pafos FC, 11 years after they were founded are now in the Champions League, becoming the first Cypriot representitives in the Champions League since APOEL back in the 2017/18 season. In qualifying, Pafos overcome Maccabi Tel Aviv and Dynamo Kyiv in the qualifying round before defeating Red Star Belgrade in the play-off round, to raise the flag for Cyprus in the Champions League. Over the summer, Pafos made a very eye-catching summer when Brazilian veteran, David Luiz joined the Cypriot champions to add a little firepower to their defence. 

In their maiden Champions Leagye campaign, Pafos will welcome Bayern Munich to Paphos as well as making a journey to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea, one of David Luiz's old clubs. They'll also travel to Turin to face Igor Tudor's Juventus, as well as hosting Villareal in Cyprus. Journeys to Piraeus and Almaty are also on the cards for Juan Carlos Carcedo's men as they'll also host Slavia Praha and Monaco in Paphos. All these matches will test Pafos' resilience and squad depth to their fullest as they prepare for arguably the biggest campaign in their history. While progression may be a tall order, every fixture offers the Cypriot side a chance to make history, as they look to cause some major upsets this season. 

The Champions Blog Predicts: LEAGUE PHASE/KNOCKOUT ROUND PLAY-OFFS

Picture Above: Pafos players celebrating their Champions League qualification following their play-off tie win over Red Star Belgrade

Time is ticking and the Champions League is only just a matter of hours from kicking off for the season. With countless thrilling clashes on the horizon, all 36 teams, old and new, share one ultimate ambition: to lift the trophy in Budapest at the season's end. The Champions Blog is geared up and ready for the journey. The Champions Blog will return soon as the first 18 matches have been played, seeing teams either make a good start or lose valuable points.