Club Draws Real Madrid, Bayern and 6 Others in 2026/27 Champions League

Q: Since the new restriction only applies to the league phase, are we destined to see Liverpool and Real Madrid clash in the knockouts anyway?

No. Liverpool and Real Madrid are not destined to meet in the knockout rounds; the new rule only removes one specific league-phase repeat, not the matchup itself. What UEFA has barred is Liverpool hosting Real Madrid at Anfield for a third straight league phase season. Because that exact home fixture happened in 2024-25 and 2025-26, it cannot be repeated in 2026-27. But Liverpool can still draw Madrid in the league phase if the game is at the Bernabeu. After the league phase, there is no special protection against a Liverpool-Real Madrid tie. If both clubs progress, they could be paired in the knockout phase play-offs, round of 16 or later rounds, because the restriction applies only to the league phase draw. Equally, they might avoid each other entirely if the bracket falls differently or one of them is eliminated. The broader format makes a repeat possible but far from inevitable. The top eight in the league table go straight to the round of 16, while teams placed ninth to 24th enter the February play-offs. That creates several possible paths, and whether Liverpool and Madrid collide will depend on where they finish and subsequent draws. So the realistic answer is this: UEFA has reduced the chance of another Anfield rematch in the autumn, but it has not made a spring showdown any more certain.

3 articles · Updated · Arsenal.com · Aug 27

Eight league-phase opponents were set in Thursday's Champions League draw: Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Real Betis, Lille, Napoli, Sabah and Slavia Prague.
Four of those ties will be at home—against Madrid, Dortmund, Lille and Sabah—while away trips send the club to Munich, Seville, Naples and Prague.
The format again gives each team 8 matches against 8 different opponents, with the top 8 in the 36-team table advancing directly to the knockout stage and places 9-24 entering playoffs.
League-phase matchweeks run from September 8-10 through January 27 after a season in which the club won all 8 league-phase games before losing the final to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties.

Sources

Arsenal.com1h ago

Club Draws Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Six Others in 2026/27 Champions League

The New York Times14h ago

UEFA Champions League 2026-27 Draw Held; New Rule Affects Arsenal, Liverpool

The Mirror14h ago

Champions League draw rules and why a computer is needed as two fixtures banned - The Mirror

7 Sources

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Since the new restriction only applies to the league phase, are we destined to see Liverpool and Real Madrid clash in the knockouts anyway?