Real Madrid will face two Premier League clubs in the 2025/26 Champions League group stage
Real Madrid will face two Premier League clubs in the 2025/26 Champions League group stage
The finals of this season's UEFA Champions League is yet to be played, with Inter Milan set to take on PSG later this weekend in Munich.
Even as the world awaits for a new European champion to be crowned, the draw for the next season's competition is already starting to take shape.
Two Premier League opponents for Real Madrid
According to ESPN, Due to the structure of next season's Champions League, Real Madrid are guaranteed to face two English teams in the league phase.
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This is a direct result of both the expanded format and the number of Premier League clubs involved.
England will have six teams in the competition – Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, , Newcastle United, and Tottenham (Europa League winners).
UEFA rules prevent teams from the same country being drawn against each other in the group stage, and also limit clubs to a maximum of two opponents from any one nation.
Real Madrid will face two PL teams in the UCL league phase. (Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images)
To satisfy both conditions, the six non-English teams in Pot 1 – including Real Madrid – must each play two Premier League clubs.
This setup could force Real Madrid into tougher matchups than usual. Instead of drawing from a broader mix of lower-seeded European sides, the Merengues may have to face lower-pot PL teams like Tottenham (Pot 3) or Newcastle (Pot 4), bypassing theoretically easier options such as Olympiacos or Bodo/Glimt.
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While Premier League clubs will not be affected by the restriction, non-English Pot 1 teams like Real Madrid bear the brunt of the system.
In the current season, Real Madrid faced just one English club (Liverpool) in the league phase but were eliminated by Arsenal at the quarter-final stage. Next time, though, they will face two teams from the Premier League in the group stage.
The draw for the group stage takes place on Thursday, August 28.
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