{
  "id": 3776410,
  "title": "Arsenal 2026/27 Champions League fixtures: League phase opponents revealed for Gunners",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/arsenal-2026-27-champions-league-fixtures-league-phase-opponents",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-27T16:49:47.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/arsenal-2026-27-champions-league-164947161.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Arsenal will face formidable opponents in the Champions League's league phase this season, as they aim to secure their second consecutive final appearance and third overall. The Gunners drew their rivals during the draw, which includes Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Real Betis, Lille, Napoli, Sabah, and Slavia Prague. This season, the reigning Premier League winners will encounter the Spanish giants Real Madrid and Real Betis, as well as their German counterparts Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.\n\nAdditionally, Arsenal will play against Italian side Napoli, French club Lille, Czech Republic's Slavia Prague, and Azerbaijani debutants Sabah. The league phase will consist of 36 teams, each facing eight games. The teams are divided into four pots based on their UEFA coefficient, and opponents are generated by automated software. Each pot contains eight teams, and two teams are selected from each pot – one playing at home and the other away. The teams cannot face another team from the same country and are not allowed to play more than two teams from a single country. The top eight teams automatically progress to the knockout stage, followed by the play-off stage, where eight teams advance to the last 16.",
  "summary": "Mikel Arteta’s side are eyeing a second consecutive final, after their penalty-shootout heartbreak against PSG",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 8,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "IOL",
        "title": "UEFA set to withdraw FIFA boycott threat ahead of Champions League draw",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/uefa-set-to-withdraw-fifa-boycott-threat-ahead-of-champions-league-3689846",
        "published": "2026-08-27T07:06:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "When is the UEFA Champions League draw? What to know about format",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/when-is-the-uefa-champions-league-draw-what-to-know-about-format",
        "published": "2026-08-27T09:31:32.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "El Pais",
        "title": "El sorteo de la Champions League: equipos, partidos y cruces, en directo",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/el-sorteo-de-la-champions-league-equipos-partidos-y-cruces-en-directo",
        "published": "2026-08-27T15:44:58.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Forbes",
        "title": "Real Madrid UEFA Champions League Draw—Who, When, Where?",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/real-madrid-uefa-champions-league-draw-who-when-where",
        "published": "2026-08-27T16:43:41.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "BBC Sport",
        "title": "Man City and Aston Villa to face holders PSG in Champions League",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/man-city-and-aston-villa-to-face-holders-psg-in-champions-league",
        "published": "2026-08-27T17:32:55.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Indian Express",
        "title": "Champions League draw: Arsenal face Real Madrid, Rodri to face Manchester City in Barcelona colours",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/champions-league-draw-arsenal-face-real-madrid-rodri-to-face",
        "published": "2026-08-27T17:33:22.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "PSG to face Barcelona, Man City and Villa in Champions League as draw is made",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/psg-to-face-barcelona-man-city-and-villa-in-champions-league-as-draw",
        "published": "2026-08-27T17:39:27.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}