Tough Champions League draw for PSG, Arsenal, Manchester City, and Bayern Munich
The Champions League league phase draw, conducted by former football stars Thierry Henry and David Silva in Monaco, has set up challenging fixtures for several top European clubs. Paris Saint-Germain, the reigning champions, will face Barcelona, with whom they have a history, and will also travel to England twice to play Manchester City and Aston Villa. PSG President Nasser al-Khelaifi expressed excitement for the competition. Manchester City, under new manager Enzo Maresca, will also play Barcelona at Camp Nou and must contend with Napoli, Sporting, and FC Porto. English champions Arsenal will host Real Madrid and also face Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, and Napoli. Bayern Munich, who lost to PSG in the semifinals last season, will play Atlético Madrid and Manchester United. Atlético Madrid will also visit Liverpool. Real Madrid, having strengthened their squad with players like Yan Diomandé, Bernardo Silva, Marc Cucurella, and Ibrahima Konaté, and now managed by José Mourinho, will face Arsenal and Italian champions Inter Milan, as well as a trip to Rome. Inter Milan will also play Liverpool. The league phase schedule, a format introduced two years ago, will be announced by UEFA on Saturday, with the first matchday scheduled for September 8, 9, and 10.