Who are Bayern’s possible opponents for the Champions League’s league phase?

Bayern will discover their eight opponents for the 2025/26 Champions League’s league phase at Thursday’s draw in Monaco (6pm CEST). The Bundesliga champions will be paired with two teams from each of the four nine-team pots. Teams cannot face opponents from their own country and will not be drawn against more than two teams from the same association.

Teams are sorted into the four pots based on their UEFA club coefficient. Bayern rank third in that list behind Real Madrid and Manchester City and are therefore in Pot 1. Here’s a rundown of how it all works and who Bayern could face in Europe this season.

Pot 1

There’ll be no avoiding big-name opposition for Bayern out of Pot 1, which includes holders Paris Saint-Germain, last season’s runners-up Inter Milan and also the champions of England and Spain, Liverpool and Barcelona.

Paris Saint-Germain (2024/25 French Ligue 1 champions and Champions League holders)
Real Madrid (runners-up in 2024/25 Spanish LaLiga)
Manchester City (third in 2024/25 English Premier League)
Bayern (2024/25 Bundesliga champions)
Liverpool (2024/25 English Premier League champions)
Inter Milan (runners-up in 2024/25 Italian Serie A)
Chelsea (fourth in 2024/25 English Premier League)
Borussia Dortmund (fourth in 2024/25 Bundesliga – not a possible opponent)
Barcelona (2024/25 Spanish LaLiga champions)

Pot 2

There are more household European names in the second pot, including Arsenal, three-time Europa League winners Atlético Madrid, Italian giants Juventus and two-time European champions Benfica. However, there are no reigning domestic champions in this pot.

Arsenal (runners-up in 2024/25 English Premier League)
Bayer Leverkusen (runners-up in 2024/25 Bundesliga – not a possible opponent)
Atlético Madrid (third in 2024/25 Spanish LaLiga)
Benfica (runners-up in 2024/25 Portuguese Primeira Liga)
Atalanta (third in 2024/25 Italian Serie A)
Villarreal (fifth in 2024/25 Spanish LaLiga)
Juventus (fourth in 2024/25 Italian Serie A)
Eintracht Frankfurt (third in 2024/25 Bundesliga – not a possible opponent)
Club Brugge (runners-up in 2024/25 Belgian Pro League)

Pot 3

There are more teams holding silverware in Pot 3, including Europa League winners Tottenham Hotspur and several domestic champions in PSV Eindhoven, Napoli, Sporting Lisbon, Olympiacos, Slavia Prague and Champions League newcomers Bodø/Glimt.

Tottenham Hotspur (2024/25 Europa League winners)
PSV Eindhoven (2024/25 Dutch Eredivisie champions)
Ajax (runners-up in 2024/25 Dutch Eredivisie)
Napoli (2024/25 Italian Serie A champions)
Sporting Lisbon (2024/25 Portuguese Primeira Liga champions)
Olympiacos (2024/25 Super League Greece champions)
Slavia Prague (2024/25 Czech First League champions)
Bodø/Glimt (2024 Norwegian Eliteserien champions)
Marseille (runners-up in 2024/25 French Ligue 1)

Pot 4

The final pot includes three Champions League debutants in Kazakhstan’s Kairat, Pafos of Cyprus and Belgium’s Union Saint-Gilloise. Bayern have never faced any of them, Qarabag, Newcastle United or Athletic Bilbao.

Copenhagen (2024/25 Danish Superliga champions)
Monaco (third in 2024/25 French Ligue 1)
Galatasaray (2024/25 Turkish Süper Lig champions)
Union Saint-Gilloise (2024/25 Belgian Pro League champions)
Qarabag (2024/25 Azerbaijan Premier League champions)
Athletic Bilbao (fourth in 2024/25 Spanish LaLiga)
Newcastle United (fifth in 2024/25 English Premier League)
Pafos (2024/25 Cypriot First Division champions)
Kairat (2024 Kazakhstan Premier League champions)

2025/26 Champions League format

A total of 36 teams will compete in the Champions League’s league phase. Over the eight matchdays, each team will play four games at home and four away against eight different opponents, who are determined by the draw. All results count towards the overall table. The top eight teams will advance to the round of 16. The remaining eight places will be determined by a two-legged play-off between the teams that finish ninth to 16th (seeded, second leg at home) and 17th to 24th. The eight winners will then play against the eight automatic qualifiers in the round of 16. At the same time, the path for the quarter-finals and semi-finals will also be determined.

Key dates

League phase
Matchday 1: 16-18 September 2025
Matchday 2: 30 September-1 October 2025
Matchday 3: 21/22 October 2025
Matchday 4: 4/5 November 2025
Matchday 5: 25/26 November 2025
Matchday 6: 9/10 December 2025
Matchday 7: 20/21 January 2026
Matchday 8: 28 January 2026

Knockout phase
Play-offs: 17/18 & 24/25 February 2026
Round of 16: 10/11 & 17/18 March 2026
Quarter-finals: 7/8 & 14/15 April 2026
Semi-finals: 28/29 April & 5/6 May 2026
Final: 30 May 2026 (Budapest)

Draws
League phase: 28 August 2025
Knockout play-offs: 30 January 2026
Round of 16, quarters, semis, final: 27 February 2026

Bayern were in DFB Cup action in Wiesbaden on Wednesday night: