03
The Armchair Galáctico's Team Guide
TIER 1 · 5 CLUBS
The Untouchables
These teams are in the Champions League to WIN. Not compete. WIN. Their squads are generational, their coaches are paranoid geniuses, and their odds reflect legitimate terror.
🔵🔴
FC Barcelona
RODRI. FLICK. 12 YEARS WAITING. LA LIGA CHAMPIONS.
The Gaffer
Hansi Flick — The German who came to Barcelona and fell completely in love with the DNA of the club. His pressing system, his belief in youth, his willingness to let Pedri and Lamine Yamal express themselves without fear — this is the manager Barcelona needed. La Liga Champions. The Couch believes Flick is the right man to end the 12-year wait for European glory. He is calm enough to handle the noise of the Bernabéu, the Parc des Princes, and wherever the knockout rounds take them.
The Spine
Rodri (the midfield anchor who chose Barcelona and immediately transformed their engine room — his reading of the game, his passing range, his ability to control tempo makes Barcelona a different team entirely) · Pedri (the architect of everything; Spain's most elegant midfielder, a player who makes football look effortless at the highest level) · Lamine Yamal (19 years old and already one of the five best players in the world — blistering pace, exceptional technique, goals and assists in every big game since he was 16 at the Euros; the Couch just watches in disbelief) · Raphinha (the captain, the creative engine on the right, one of the best players in the world at his best) · Pau Cubarsí (centre-back, 19 years old, plays with the composure of a 31-year World Cup veteran; the future of Barcelona's backline for the next decade).
The Couch's Read
This is Barcelona's year. That sentence has been written and deleted many times over the last decade, but The Couch means it now. Flick's pressing system is relentless. Yamal at 19 is a generational talent performing at a generational level. Rodri — having finally arrived at the Nou Camp on a free after his extraordinary tenure at Manchester City — gives them a midfield anchor they have never truly had in the post-Busquets era. Pedri stays healthy. Cubarsí doesn't look 19. PSG away and Man City at home are the tests that will define the league phase. Everything about this Barcelona team suggests they understand what it takes. And 12 years is a long time to wait.
The Curse
Five European Cups. The last one in 2015. Over a decade of near-misses, late collapses, and humiliations: 4-0 in Paris (then 6-1 at home), 3-0 in Rome, 8-2 in Lisbon. Financial chaos. Presidential scandals. The Superliga fiasco. Barcelona have historically known how to win everything and then somehow lose the thing that matters most. The Couch notes the pattern. But this squad — younger, hungrier, free of the Messi-era ghosts — looks different. Still. A 19-year-old wunderkind and a German manager have not been tested on the biggest European nights yet. October 20 at the Parc des Princes will be the first real test.
League Phase Draw
PSG away on October 20 at the Parc des Princes is the marquee fixture of the entire league phase — two of the heavyweights, in Paris, under the lights. Man City at home in December is the other summit meeting. Away trips to Galatasaray in Istanbul (always hostile), Sporting CP in Lisbon, and Sabah in Baku complete the away schedule. At home: Feyenoord, Aston Villa, and Como — all very winnable. Barcelona should finish in the top 4 of the league phase with a good run.
Couch Verdict
The team to beat. Yamal. Pedri. Rodri. Flick. The Couch is picking Barcelona to lift the trophy in May. Everything about this squad says the wait is finally over. Well, at least for now. The Couch retains the right to revisit this post the league phase, in typical Couch fashion.
+ League Phase Schedule (8 matches)
🏠 Home — Estadio Olímpic Lluís Companys, Barcelona
9 SepP3 Feyenoord
3 NovP2 Aston Villa
8 DecP1 Man City
27 JanP4 Como
✈️ Away
13 OctP3 Galatasaray · Rams Park, Istanbul
20 OctP1 PSG · Parc des Princes, Paris
25 NovP4 Sabah FK · Tofiq Bakhramov Stadium, Baku
20 JanP2 Sporting CP · Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon
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Arsenal
THE REVENGE TOUR · PREMIER LEAGUE CHAMPIONS · NORTH LONDON
The Gaffer
Mikel Arteta — The longest-serving manager in the Premier League is now a double trophy winner — and a Champions League finalist. He lost it on penalties in Budapest. He will not stop until he corrects that. The Spaniard's intensity hasn't dimmed; if anything it's sharper. A man with unfinished business in the biggest competition in club football.
The Spine
Martin Ødegaard (captain, conductor — playing like prime Kevin De Bruyne, arguably better) · Bukayo Saka (right wing, engine, goals, assists, general chaos — the irreplaceable one) · Kai Havertz (striker, aerial threat, the reliable centre forward Arteta always wanted) · Gabriel Magalhães (the Brazilian colossus at the back) · Declan Rice (press trigger, box-to-box engine, heartbeat of the structure) · Bruno Guimarães (summer arrival — the double pivot with Rice that gives Arteta his European defensive floor) · Ben White (right-back, attacking outlet, defensive certainty) · Riccardo Calafiori (left-side hybrid — Europe's most progressive ball-carrier from deep).
The Couch's Read
Two consecutive seasons. Two exits at the hands of PSG. Semi-final in 2024–25. Final in 2025–26. On penalties. In Budapest. And now, as Premier League champions, Arteta's Arsenal enter this campaign full of confidence — and possibly the most motivated club in Europe. Saka, Havertz, Ben White, Calafiori, the defensive structure that barely concedes. And Ødegaard playing like a prime Kevin De Bruyne. They are excellent. They are ready. They have suffered specifically and memorably. The Couch believes this could be the year, and thinks they are the favourites... just a smidge behind Barcelona.
The Curse
"It's Always Arsenal's Year" — was the cruelest joke in English football. Then it became true when they won the Premier League title in 2025–26. Will this be the year that they reverse their Champions League curse finally? They have never won it. Not even the Invincibles. But they have made the quarter-final, semi-final and the final in the last three campaigns. Will this be their year?
League Phase Draw
The Gunners have a monster challenge facing Champions League stalwarts Real Madrid at home and Bayern Munich away. They will also be seriously tested by Real Betis at the Estadio Benito Villamarín and by Napoli on matchday 1 at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. The Couch notes that there is no soft option at this level. Arsenal will find out quickly how ready they actually are. The Galáctico says — Arsenal to end the League Phase in the top 4, potentially as one of the top 2 teams.
Couch Verdict
Legitimate title contender. The Couch's second (by inches) pick to win it. If Arsenal do not win their first Champions League title this season, the Couch will need to revise the entire project's thesis.
+ League Phase Schedule (8 matches)
🏠 Home — Emirates Stadium, London
13 OctP3 Lille
24 NovP2 Borussia Dortmund
9 DecP1 Real Madrid
27 JanP4 Sabah FK
✈️ Away
9 SepP3 Napoli · Stadio Diego Armando Maradona
21 OctP1 Bayern München · Allianz Arena
4 NovP4 Slavia Praha · Fortuna Arena
20 JanP2 Real Betis · Estadio Benito Villamarín
🗼
Paris Saint-Germain
THE THREE-PEAT MACHINE · PARIS · LIGUE 1 CHAMPIONS
The Gaffer
Luis Enrique — The man who rebuilt PSG from the Mbappe-era wreckage into a coherent, collective, devastating team. Three consecutive Ligue 1 titles. A pressing system that makes watching PSG genuinely exciting for the first time in years. Enrique's entire philosophy is built around avoiding the late-stage European collapse that has haunted this club for two decades. The Couch believes in him. The question is whether his players believe in themselves when it actually matters in May.
The Spine
Ousmane Dembélé (the French wing wizard who finally became the player everyone always believed he could be — quick, direct, technically brilliant, creative, and suddenly clinical; the transformation under Enrique has been remarkable) · Désiré Doué (21 years old and already terrifying — the young French prodigy who has exploded into one of Europe's most exciting attackers; pace, intelligence, end product) · Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, or Kvaradona (the Georgian superstar, the creative hub at the attacking tip of PSG's midfield — the player who unlocks everything when the press forces a turnover; on his very best days, arguably the most exciting player in the world to watch) · Vitinha (the Portuguese metronome, underrated by the wider world but not by anyone who watches carefully; the engine that keeps PSG moving in possession) · Achraf Hakimi (Moroccan right-back, arguably the best attacking full-back in world football — his combination with Dembélé down the right is one of the most exciting partnerships in the entire league phase).
The Couch's Read
Paris vs Barcelona at the Parc des Princes on October 20 is the league phase's most glamorous fixture. Two of the heavyweights of world football in the stadium where PSG were dismantled 4-0 all those years ago before the Remontada. The ghost of that night lives at the Parc des Princes. Luis Enrique's PSG are a different team from all the star-studded squads of that superstar era — more cohesive, more collective, more dangerous in their relentlessness. Man City at the Etihad is the other massive test. They have started the season slow with just two points in their first three Ligue 1 games. The Champions League is the obsession — and they started the last two seasons really slowly... before going on a run to win it all. Everything Enrique has built is pointed at May.
The Curse
Until they won it twice in the last two years, it was a futile exercise for PSG. Mbappé, Neymar, Messi — all the stars, but never the trophy. 2020 UCL Finalists. They lost 1-0 to Bayern München in Lisbon in 2020, and it seemed the curse would never go. For a club owned by Qatar's sovereign wealth fund, the Champions League had been a story of extraordinary investment and extraordinary failure. But Enrique's project changed all of that. The question is whether they will challenge to three-peat, and become the only club apart from Champions League royalty, Real Madrid, to be able to do so.
League Phase Draw
Away at the Etihad on October 14, and then Barcelona at home on October 20. That is the draw's headline — back-to-back elite tests in October. If PSG survive those two fixtures with maximum or near-maximum points, the rest is very manageable: Slovan at home, Galatasaray at home, Roma at home, Como away and Aston Villa away — beautiful European nights at Villa Park in December. The Couch thinks PSG have mixed results against the elite, and maybe a draw or two that enables them to just about make the Top 8 at the end of the league phase. And then the knockouts begin, and the three-peat question becomes the biggest one of this decade.
Couch Verdict
The formerly perennial European underachiever, now turned into a Champions League title machine, has the manager, the talent and the system to go all the way. Dembélé is flying. Doué is the next great French forward. Kvaradona is the best player in the world on his day. Vitinha makes them tick. The Couch picks PSG for the semi-finals this time, losing to Arsenal who break their curse. But the Couch will not be shocked if they go all the way and complete the hat-trick. But he will be brave, and picks against them winning it all, despite all signs pointing to it.
+ League Phase Schedule (8 matches)
🏠 Home — Parc des Princes, Paris
9 SepP4 Slovan Bratislava
20 OctP1 Barcelona
25 NovP2 Roma
27 JanP3 Galatasaray
✈️ Away
14 OctP1 Man City · Etihad Stadium, Manchester
3 NovP3 Villarreal · Estadio de la Cerámica
8 DecP2 Aston Villa · Villa Park, Birmingham
20 JanP4 Como 1907 · Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia
🔴⚪
Bayern Munich
THE GERMAN MACHINE · BUNDESLIGA CHAMPIONS · 6-TIME UCL WINNERS
The Gaffer
Vincent Kompany — The defender turned manager who learned his trade at Anderlecht, refined it at Burnley (chaotic, educational, briefly Premier League), formerly the captain at Manchester City, now commands the most successful club in German football. Kompany's high-pressing, high-intensity approach suits Bayern's squad perfectly. Bundesliga Champions, consumed by the obsession with UCL glory. Six titles and counting. Kompany is the right manager at the right time — the Couch said this before it became fashionable.
The Spine
Harry Kane (the Premier League's second leading all-time top scorer who finally chose a club worthy of his talent — his goal return at Bayern has been extraordinary and his link play, leadership, and professionalism have made him the perfect centre-forward for Kompany's system) · Michael Olise (French winger, explosive pace, exceptional technique, goals and assists — the most exciting wide player in the Bundesliga; the Couch watches him and just smiles) · Luis Díaz (Colombian wide forward, relentless intensity and creativity, Colombia's greatest player of his generation; gives Bayern an unpredictability on the left that makes them extremely hard to defend) · Alphonso Davies (Canadian left-back with jet engines for legs — one of the fastest players in world football and one of the most dynamic attacking full-backs in Europe) · Joshua Kimmich (the captain, the heartbeat, the most important player at Bayern for six years — technical genius, leadership under pressure, the man who makes everything click).
The Couch's Read
Bayern is Champions League royalty… in the next tier after Real Madrid. They enter every Champions League as a threat and this year is no different. Kane's goals. Olise's creativity. Díaz's dynamism. Kimmich's leadership. Kompany's system. Arsenal at the Allianz Arena on October 21 will be their acid test — it is the league phase's most anticipated game in Germany — a European night in Munich under the red floodlights, one of football's great experiences. Atlético away in Madrid is another tricky fixture in their otherwise relatively benign schedule. Man United away in January is fascinating given United's trajectory — but Bayern may have well wrapped up a top 2 league phase finish by then, making that game academic (and perhaps a lot more important to United). Bayern was close last year, losing only to Arsenal in the group stage and to PSG in a closely fought brilliant semi-final. The question is whether they can go all the way this time.
The Curse
Six-time Champions League winners. Their last title in 2020. Every year since has been a painful story of early exits or semi-final heartbreak. Bayern's curse is peaking slightly too early: playing brilliantly for five months, then making one match's worth of mistakes that ends everything. The Allianz Arena is a fortress. Away from home in elite European nights, they can look vulnerable in ways that don't exist in the Bundesliga. The Couch is aware of the curse. Kane is aware of the curse. Kimmich has been aware of the curse since 2021. Can they break it and give Kane his first Champions League medal?
League Phase Draw
Arsenal at home on October 21 is the game Munich marks immediately in the diary — that will decide if they end up in the top 2, or merely the top 4. Atlético away at the Metropolitano is the most physically and tactically demanding single fixture in the draw. Man United away at Old Trafford in January is a European grand occasion typically, but may prove to be a damp squib if Bayern secure a top 2 position by then. All other games should be routine wins. Bayern should be in the top 2. The knockout rounds are where their true quality — or their familiar fragility — reveals itself.
Couch Verdict
Top 2 in the league phase — probably the top team, and likely to be a semi-finalist. Kane deserves a Champions League winners' medal. The Couch thinks Bayern will get close like last year. And like last year, they will get stopped in the semi-finals — in a penalty shoot-out at home. Olise against anyone is a privilege to watch. Until he misses that crucial penalty at the Allianz.
+ League Phase Schedule (8 matches)
🏠 Home — Allianz Arena, Munich
10 SepP3 Bodø/Glimt
21 OctP1 Arsenal
8 DecP4 Slavia Praha
27 JanP2 Real Betis
✈️ Away
13 OctP4 Viking FK · Viking Stadion, Stavanger
3 NovP1 Atlético Madrid · Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano
25 NovP3 Lille · Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Villeneuve-d'Ascq
20 JanP2 Man United · Old Trafford, Manchester
👑⚪
Real Madrid
15-TIME WINNERS · ETERNAL THREAT · LA LIGA RUNNERS-UP
The Gaffer
José Mourinho — The Special One returns. Xabi Alonso was sacked mid-season after results failed to convince the Bernabéu faithful, and Real Madrid turned to one of the most decorated managers in football, after another failed experiment with Álvaro Arbeloa for the remaining part of last season. Mourinho managed Madrid from 2010 to 2013 — winning La Liga, the Copa del Rey, but losing three times in the semi-finals of the Champions League — and he knows the institution, the pressure, and the expectation better than almost anyone alive. His appointment is either an extremely inspired rescue act after two whole seasons of winning nothing, or another gamble that may fizzle out in spectacular fashion. The Couch suspects: both. Mourinho's Madrid will be organised, dangerous on the counter, and absolutely terrifying in big European knockout nights. The Bernabéu on Champions League nights will be a terrifying experience for their opponents.
The Spine
Kylian Mbappé (the superstar who chose the Bernabéu and has been devastating since — explosive pace, clinical finishing, the ability to change a match in 30 seconds) · Vinícius Júnior (Brazil's best player, the man who almost won the Ballon d'Or, and has scored twice in Champions League finals, winning both) · Jude Bellingham (English, 22 years old, already a Bernabéu legend — relentless box-to-box energy, goals from midfield, the complete modern midfielder) · Federico Valverde (the Uruguayan engine — can play anywhere, always delivers; one of the most underrated players in the world to anyone not watching La Liga regularly) · Thibaut Courtois (the best goalkeeper in the world at his peak; Real Madrid's last line of defence).
The Couch's Read
La Liga runners-up, and no trophies. For Real Madrid, that has been an abomination. A slight that has been nursed all summer and is about to be directed at the Champions League with extreme focus. Mourinho has added new toys to his mix of Galácticos — Bernardo Silva, Yan Diamande, Cucurella — to build a squad where a moment of magic can change the course of a match. And the Bernabéu at night will be an intimidating venue to anybody. But the defining fixture for the Madristas will be the clash with Arsenal at the Emirates on December 9 — one of the marquee fixtures of this league phase. The most-watched UCL game of the year, almost certainly. The Couch will be awake for every second. Real Madrid's threat is permanent, structural, and existential. They have won this competition 15 times. They know how.
The Curse
Real Madrid's curse is not history — it is complacency. When they are genuinely scared, when the season demands everything and they know it, Real Madrid are the best team in the world. When they feel comfortable, they can lose to anyone. La Decimocuarta, La Decimoquinta, La Decimosexta — the numbers are obscene. The Mourinho return needs its first major trophy. The pressure at the biggest club in the world is real. And the expectation of nothing short of becoming champions of Europe once again is what every Madrista has. If Mourinho gets this wrong, the noise from Madrid will be historic. The Couch thinks Mourinho may not be able to get them over the line, despite the Madrid magic.
League Phase Draw
Real Madrid vs Inter at the Bernabéu on September 8 — matchday 1 of the entire league phase — will be an early statement. Arsenal away at the Emirates on December 9 is the match the whole of European football will watch. Roma away at the Olimpico is atmospheric and dangerous. Everything else should be very winnable. Real Madrid should ease into the top 8 in the league phase. Perhaps even Top 5. Easily.
Couch Verdict
The greatest club in the history of this competition — Champions League royalty. Mourinho is built for the big occasion — always has been. Mbappé, Vini, Bellingham — the attacking trident that keeps defenders awake at night. The Special One, back at the Bernabéu, in the Champions League. The Couch says it will not be as special this year unfortunately, and picks Real to go out in the quarter-finals — after knocking out a top English side in the round of 16. Picking against Real Madrid in this tournament is usually madness. The Couch is doing that anyway. The Couch will need therapy.
+ League Phase Schedule (8 matches)
🏠 Home — Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid
8 SepP1 Inter Milan
21 OctP3 RB Leipzig
24 NovP2 PSV Eindhoven
19 JanP4 LASK
✈️ Away
14 OctP2 Roma · Stadio Olimpico, Rome
4 NovP4 AEK Athens · OAKA Spyros Louis, Athens
9 DecP1 Arsenal · Emirates Stadium, London
27 JanP3 Shakhtar Donetsk · neutral venue
TIER 2 · 3 CLUBS
Serious Business
Don't get caught napping against these sides. Each has a world-class core capable of a deep run to the semi-finals or the final. They just need to survive the league stage without collapsing under expectation, or playing every three days juggling the pressure of domestic leagues and competitions with the Champions League.
🔵
Manchester City
THE MARESCA ERA BEGINS · ETIHAD EMPIRE · POST-PEP CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
The Gaffer
Enzo Maresca — The apprentice has the keys to the biggest competition in club football. City enter the Champions League for the first time without Pep Guardiola in a decade. Without Rodri. Without Bernardo Silva. But with Haaland, Cherki, Enzo Fernández, and the most expensive midfield rebuild in City's history. Maresca's first European test at this level begins now. The Couch suspects it will be a steep learning curve — followed immediately by a very dangerous one.
The Spine
Erling Haaland (the phenomenon — biologically designed to score in every competition, every city, every continent; already 2 goals in MW2) · Rayan Cherki (summer signing — brace on debut, pirouette and two goals at Selhurst Park; pure technical brilliance that Europe hasn't seen yet) · Enzo Fernández (the World Cup winner, finally with a manager who can build a system around him — £125m deadline-day deal) · Elliot Anderson (£116m, ex-Forest — the engine in the Rodri-shaped void; doesn't replace him, but covers the ground) · Ayyoub Bouaddi (18, from Lille — the World Cup phenomenon, potentially the next Rodri, here already).
The Couch's Read
The transition is real. Pep's gone. Rodri's gone. Bernardo's gone. The club that won the Champions League in 2023 is rebuilding under a manager who has never coached in Europe at this level. But here is the thing about Manchester City: even in transition, they have Haaland. And Haaland doesn't care about transitions. He cares about goals. City have the most expensive midfield in the league, a manager with a clear tactical identity, and a squad that somehow looks even deeper than it did under Pep. They are Serious Business — and anyone who overlooks them on the basis of "they're rebuilding" will regret it by March.
The Curse
The 115 Charges That Won't Go Away — The Premier League financial charges hang over the Etihad like a storm cloud that refuses to break. On the pitch, City look like vintage City. In the courts, the outcome remains unknowable. This shadow follows every trophy City might win this season. The Galáctico notes this only because it is impossible to ignore — and because a points deduction in the Premier League, and perhaps a snowball effect in UEFA competitions, if it comes, would redefine everything.
League Phase Draw
City face the mother of all league phase draws: Barcelona away in December, PSG at the Etihad, Porto away on matchday 1. And Napoli and Sporting, even though both are at home, are not games to snooze at. The Couch notes that surviving the league phase in the top 8 is not a given — but Haaland against anyone, anywhere, is the great equaliser. If Cherki and Fernández settle quickly into European football, City can turn this brutal draw into a statement.
Couch Verdict
Dangerous, even in a transition period, and very capable of going deep. If Cherki and Haaland click in Europe, City can reach the semi-finals. The charges cloud everything beyond the pitch. And it remains to be seen if Maresca can balance the Champions League with domestic aspirations. The Couch files them firmly under Serious Business.
+ League Phase Schedule (8 matches)
🏠 Home — Etihad Stadium, Manchester
14 OctP1 PSG
21 OctP4 AEK Athens
24 NovP3 Napoli
27 JanP3 Sporting CP
✈️ Away
8 SepP3 Porto · Estádio do Dragão
4 NovP3 RB Leipzig · Red Bull Arena
9 DecP1 Barcelona · Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys
19 JanP4 Lens · Stade Bollaert-Delelis
🔴
Liverpool
THE £400M EXPERIMENT · IRAOLA'S ANFIELD · YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE
The Gaffer
Andoni Iraola — The Basque coach who elevated Bournemouth from relegation candidate to Europa League now takes his high-press philosophy into the Champions League. A first season at Anfield is off to a somewhat slow start — even though Isak is flying again. European nights at Anfield are different from anything Iraola has managed before. The Couch is watching carefully. The atmosphere will help. Whether the tactics hold under this level of pressure is the season-defining question.
The Spine
Alexander Isak (£125m from Newcastle — Premier League record; world-class composure, built for the biggest nights; scored on his debut in Europe last season) · Florian Wirtz (£116m from Bayer Leverkusen — the German playmaker who dismantled every press in the Bundesliga; real Champions League pedigree from Leverkusen's miracle unbeaten run) · Virgil van Dijk (the defensive anchor; still the best organising centre-back in the world on his day) · Bradley Barcola (ex-PSG — electric French winger, 2× Champions League winner with PSG, frightening on the counter) · Jeremy Jacquet (pressing intensity and athleticism in midfield — the Iraola player in embryo).
The Couch's Read
The talent is staggering. Barcola, Isak and Wirtz together may be the most expensive attacking partnership in Champions League history. But Iraola is still calibrating — the first three weeks in the Premier League has resulted in just one win and two sketchy draws — not the form of a side ready to navigate eight Champions League games. The injuries to Ekitike (Achilles, out until 2027), Conor Bradley, and Giovanni Leoni reduce depth at crucial moments. Anfield on a European night is still one of the most intimidating venues in football. Liverpool are Serious Business — capable of causing serious problems for anyone in the knockout stage. Whether they can go deep depends on whether Iraola can build cohesion before Christmas.
The Curse
The Post-Klopp Hangover — After every era of Liverpool greatness comes three painful years of "genuinely good but not quite there." Iraola is trying to buy his way out of the cycle with £400m of attackers. It's showing positive signs — at least it did in their last game. The settled, suffocating cohesion of Klopp's final side hasn't yet been replicated. But the talent to build something extraordinary is here. The question is whether time in a Champions League season is a luxury Liverpool can afford.
League Phase Draw
The draw has been kind to Liverpool... mostly. A home opener against Atlético Madrid on matchday 1 — vintage Champions League drama under the Anfield lights from the very first whistle — and then Inter away in January at San Siro are the main challenges. Other away games — Club Brugge and then Fenerbahçe away in a raucous Istanbul — could also pose a few challenges. The Couch notes that this will test Liverpool's depth. If Barcola, Isak and Wirtz are clicking by December, a top-8 finish is very achievable.
Couch Verdict
Serious Business, and the most compelling unknown in the field. If Barcola, Wirtz and Isak find their European gear simultaneously, Liverpool could go very deep. Anfield has a way of making the improbable feel inevitable. The Couch expects a top-4 finish in the league phase — but would be surprised if they make it past the quarter-finals.
+ League Phase Schedule (8 matches)
🏠 Home — Anfield, Liverpool
9 SepP1 Atlético Madrid
20 OctP3 Villarreal
9 DecP3 Porto
27 JanP4 Lens
✈️ Away
14 OctP4 LASK · Raiffeisen Arena, Linz
4 NovP3 Fenerbahçe · Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadyumu
25 NovP3 Club Brugge · Jan Breydel Stadion
19 JanP1 Inter Milan · Giuseppe Meazza (San Siro)
⚫🔵
Inter Milan
SERIE A CHAMPIONS · SERIAL EUROPEAN OPERATORS · NERAZZURRI
The Gaffer
Christian Chivu — The former Inter captain, the Romanian defender who made the Nerazzurri shirt his own during his playing days, winning the 2010 Champions League, has returned to lead the club he loves. Simone Inzaghi departed in June 2025 to take charge of Al Hilal, leaving behind back-to-back Scudetti and a Champions League final that the club never stopped thinking about. Chivu has inherited that legacy — and that hunger. He knows Inter from the inside. He understands what the badge means to the city. Now he must prove he can manage at the highest level of European football. The Couch is fascinated. The appointment has borne fruit in the league, with Inter winning Serie A. Now the question is if he can take them one step further than Inzaghi, and replicate what he did as a player?
The Spine
Lautaro Martínez (Argentine captain, Copa América winner, one of the most complete strikers in Europe — movement, finishing, pressing, leadership; the heartbeat of everything Inter do offensively) · Marcus Thuram (the French forward who plays in perfect harmony with Lautaro — physical, direct, a goal threat from everywhere, gives Inter a completely different dimension in attack) · Hakan Çalhanoğlu (the Turkish midfield general playing the deepest role in Inter's system — a deep-lying playmaker who reads the game at a level that makes lesser players look slow; the architect of Inter's build-up) · Nicolò Barella (the human engine — the most dynamic midfielder in Serie A, covering every blade of grass, arriving late into the box to score, winning tackles in his own penalty area, 80 metres per 90 minutes of absolute relentlessness; The Couch's favourite player in Italy).
The Couch's Read
Inter are the most dangerous team in this competition that nobody is talking about loudly enough. Serie A champions. Tactical precision that makes them one of the hardest teams to break down in Europe. Chivu's system is finely tuned, executed with intelligence by players who have worked together for years. The league phase opener — Real Madrid at the Bernabéu on September 8 — is the hardest possible start. How Inter respond to that fixture will define the tone of their campaign — the good news for them is they seem ready. Their Serie A campaign is off to a brilliant start with three wins out of three, including beating rivals Napoli in dramatic fashion. Liverpool at the San Siro in January is another blockbuster fixture — where even a draw will likely get them into the top 8. Inter's problem has never been the group stage. The question is always the knockout rounds — and whether Chivu's system has enough variation to avoid being solved over two legs will be the question the Couch would like to see answered.
The Curse
The 2023 Champions League Final. One Rodri goal. The 2025 Champions League Final. Five PSG goals. Inter came close… but not close enough. Those results haunt the walls of the Giuseppe Meazza. The squad is deeper, and has improved. But so have the other teams. The Couch wonders if this squad can shake it when the pressure is at its highest in April or May. Might be a difficult one.
League Phase Draw
Real Madrid away at the Bernabéu on September 8 is the opening statement — the hardest possible matchday 1 fixture. Liverpool at the San Siro in January is the home showpiece. B. Dortmund away at Signal Iduna Park and Feyenoord away at De Kuip are testing European atmospheres. At home: Club Brugge, Shakhtar, and Stuttgart are all very manageable three points. Slovan Bratislava away in January is a routine away trip. Inter should finish comfortably in the top 8, or just outside it. The knockout rounds are where their season will be defined.
Couch Verdict
The most dangerous team nobody is picking loudly enough. Chivu. Lautaro. Barella. Çalhanoğlu. The system is elite. The squad is mature. The two-time finalists can mean serious business. The Couch is watching Inter with extreme attention, and says a semi-final could be in the cards. Quarter-finals, more likely.
+ League Phase Schedule (8 matches)
🏠 Home — Giuseppe Meazza (San Siro), Milan
13 OctP2 Club Brugge
21 OctP3 Shakhtar Donetsk
25 NovP4 VfB Stuttgart
19 JanP1 Liverpool
✈️ Away
8 SepP1 Real Madrid · Estadio Santiago Bernabéu
3 NovP3 Feyenoord · Stadion De Kuip, Rotterdam
9 DecP2 B. Dortmund · Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund
27 JanP4 Slovan Bratislava · Štadión Tehelné Pole
TIER 3 · 4 CLUBS
Dark Horses & Dangerous Minds
Teams fully capable of beating anyone on a given day. The quarterfinal bracket will contain at least two of these sides. Overlook them at your peril. They have a star, a plan, a pedigree in some cases, and something to prove.
🔴
Manchester United
THE CARRICK REBUILD · THEATRE OF DREAMS · BACK IN EUROPE'S ELITE
The Gaffer
Michael Carrick — The former United captain who quietly and deliberately rebuilt the club from the ground up now takes them into the Champions League. Carrick's United are more organised, more purposeful, and more dangerous than at any point in the post-Ferguson era. They have had an up and down start to the Premier League: you never quite know which version you're getting. In the Champions League, that unpredictability is both a threat and a vulnerability.
The Spine
Bruno Fernandes (captain, hat-trick vs Ipswich, the most important and most infuriating player in European football — absolutely capable of a Champions League masterclass on his day) · Bryan Mbeumo (clinical finisher, underrated European pedigree, goals at the highest level) · Matheus Cunha (unpredictable, electric, capable of unlocking any defence with a single moment of brilliance) · Youri Tielemans (intelligence, range of passing, Europa League-winning experience from his time at Aston Villa).
The Couch's Read
Dark Horse is perhaps too gentle a term for a club with this squad. Bruno Fernandes in the Champions League is a genuinely different proposition — a player who can rise to the European stage with the kind of flair that can carry an entire team through a knockout bracket. But United also lost to Hull City on matchday 1 of the Premier League. That is the Manchester United paradox that has defined the post-Ferguson era: capable of anything, consistent at nothing. In Europe, inconsistency is punished faster. Carrick needs to solve this before the knockout stages — and the Couch believes he has the temperament to do it. The draw has been kind. United should make it through the league phase with room to spare.
The Curse
Nine Managers. Thirteen Years. No Title. — The Theatre of Dreams has been a soap opera since May 2013. Nine permanent managers have tried and failed to restore United to the pinnacle of English and European football. Carrick is the most credible in years — a man who grew up at the club, understands its DNA, and has the tactical intelligence to rebuild the culture. But the curse isn't broken. It's just temporarily paused. The Couch hopes — but does not yet believe — that this is the year it ends for good.
League Phase Draw
A manageable draw compared to the other English clubs. Sabah at home to open the account, Roma and Leipzig at Old Trafford — three winnable home games. The main challenges come away from home: Atlético Madrid is the toughest away fixture in the draw, and Sporting CP away in January could catch a tired squad. The standout fixture: Bayern München at Old Trafford in January, when things may already be settled at the top of the table. The Couch fancies United to qualify comfortably, finishing in the top 8.
Couch Verdict
Dark Horse with legitimate quarter-final ambitions. If Bruno Fernandes finds his Champions League best — and he well may, given the great start to his Premier League season — United are a genuinely dangerous side, especially in knockout games. The Couch has them making the quarter-finals, with the standard caveat: this is Manchester United, and the usual rules simply do not apply.
+ League Phase Schedule (8 matches)
🏠 Home — Old Trafford, Manchester
10 SepP4 Sabah FK
3 NovP2 Roma
8 DecP3 RB Leipzig
20 JanP1 Bayern München
✈️ Away
13 OctP1 Atlético Madrid · Cívitas Metropolitano
21 OctP4 Como · Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia
25 NovP2 Sporting CP · Estádio José Alvalade
27 JanP3 Villarreal · Estadio de la Cerámica
🟡⚫
Borussia Dortmund
YELLOW WALL · BUNDESLIGA RUNNERS-UP · SIGNAL IDUNA FAITHFUL
The Gaffer
Niko Kovač — The Croatian manager who took the Dortmund job in February 2025 has steadily rebuilt the squad's identity and belief. Known for defensive organisation and the ability to get the best out of dynamic attacking players, Kovač has brought structure to a club that was drifting after the 2024 UCL final heartbreak. Bundesliga Runners-Up again — the title continues to elude them domestically. But in Europe, Kovač's pragmatic approach combined with Dortmund's high-tempo identity is a compelling combination. Signal Iduna Park on a European night remains one of the most intimidating environments in world football, with the Yellow Wall standing tall and proud. Kovač knows exactly how to use it.
The Spine
Serhou Guirassy (the Guinean striker who has been one of the most prolific forwards in the Bundesliga — powerful, direct, clinical in front of goal; the man Dortmund are building their entire attacking structure around) · Felix Nmecha (the German midfielder with excellent technical ability and an eye for goal from distance — quietly one of the more underrated central midfielders in European football) · Marcel Sabitzer (the Austrian captain-type, tireless engine, box-to-box quality, pressing intensity; the kind of midfielder who makes the eleven better) · Nico Schlotterbeck (commanding centre-back, excellent in the air, comfortable on the ball — the leader of Dortmund's backline) · Julian Ryerson (Norwegian right-back, athletic, energetic, dangerous going forward — gives Dortmund width and dynamism down the right).
The Couch's Read
Bundesliga Runners-Up. Again. For Dortmund, second is the cruelest position — too good to be dismissed, not good enough to be celebrated. But in Europe, the Bundesliga table is irrelevant. At Signal Iduna Park, with 81,000 people and the Yellow Wall in full voice, Dortmund become a completely different proposition. They lost the 2024 UCL final to Real Madrid. That memory lives in this squad. Guirassy's goal-threat gives them an attacking solution that the previous Dortmund sides sometimes lacked. Arsenal away at the Emirates in November is the toughest single away trip. Inter at home in December — Signal Iduna Park vs the 2023 and 2025 UCL finalists — is the league phase's most atmospheric home fixture. The Couch believes Dortmund go deep. They always do.
The Curse
Dortmund's curse is the eternal second. In the Bundesliga, second behind Bayern — for years, reliably. In the 2024 UCL final, second behind Real Madrid — a single Wembley night that should have been their greatest triumph. The Yellow Wall had waited 27 years for another European Cup. They were 90 minutes away. Real Madrid happened, as Real Madrid inevitably tend to, especially in the Champions League. The Couch notes that Dortmund's European story is one of the most compelling in world football — a club that keeps reaching for the summit and keeps sliding back. Guirassy is the man who is supposed to change this narrative. The Couch hopes he does.
League Phase Draw
Arsenal away at the Emirates on November 24 is the statement fixture — two of European football's great fan bases colliding in north London. Inter Milan at Signal Iduna Park in December is the glamour home game that the Yellow Wall will be roaring for from September. Aston Villa away in January is one of the most beautiful European away days in the draw — Villa Park under the lights. The home fixtures against Villarreal, Real Betis, and AEK Athens should deliver comfortable points. Away at Bodø/Glimt and Sabah are the tricky trips that will need extreme focus. Dortmund should comfortably make the top 16, with an outside chance of making the top 8. The question, as always, is what happens in the knockout rounds.
Couch Verdict
Dark Horse material. The Yellow Wall, Guirassy's goals, and the ghost of Wembley 2024 make Dortmund genuinely dangerous. They always find a way to go further in Europe than anyone expects. But this year is not going to be magical for them — the Couch picks them to lose in the round of 16, but will not be surprised if they knock out someone they have no business beating.
+ League Phase Schedule (8 matches)
🏠 Home — Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund
8 SepP3 Villarreal
4 NovP2 Real Betis
9 DecP1 Inter Milan
27 JanP4 AEK Athens
✈️ Away
14 OctP3 Bodø/Glimt · Aspmyra Stadion, Bodø
20 OctP4 Sabah FK · Tofiq Bakhramov Stadium, Baku
24 NovP1 Arsenal · Emirates Stadium, London
19 JanP2 Aston Villa · Villa Park, Birmingham
🔴⬜
Atlético Madrid
METROPOLITANO FORTRESS · SIMEONE ETERNAL · THE NEARLY-MEN WHO NEVER QUITE STAY NEARLY
The Gaffer
Diego Simeone — SIMEONE ETERNAL. The Argentine who arrived in Madrid in 2011 and has never left. The most successful manager in Atlético's modern history. The man who turned a club permanently in Real Madrid's shadow into a genuine force in European football. His system — defensive solidity, emotional intensity, the Metropolitano as a fortress, late goals, dramatic comebacks — has made Atlético the UCL's greatest recurring nuisance. La Liga 4th place. In domestic competition, the system shows its limits. In Europe, Simeone's Atlético have always been more than the sum of their parts. Nothing has changed. Everything could change on any given European night.
The Spine
Julián Álvarez (the Argentine World Cup winner who arrived from Manchester City and has become THE striker — clinical, relentless, direct, a relentless pressing forward who scores in the biggest games; the challenge of course is that not all is well between him and the Atleti fans, given his public statements wanting to go to Barcelona) · Alex Baena (Spanish winger, explosive pace, one of La Liga's most dangerous wide players — capable of unlocking any defence with a moment of individual brilliance) · Marcos Llorente (the versatile Spanish World Cup winning midfielder who can play anywhere from right-back to attacking midfield — Atlético's Swiss Army knife, a player of extraordinary tactical intelligence) · Koke (the eternal captain; the symbol of everything Atlético represent — loyalty, leadership, football intelligence, and the absolute refusal to give an opponent an easy second).
The Couch's Read
Atlético Madrid are La Liga 4th place. In the Champions League, La Liga 4th place means nothing. Simeone turns the Metropolitano into the most hostile venue in Spain on European nights, and the Metropolitano has hosted some of the competition's most dramatic moments. Liverpool away at Anfield on September 9 is a brutal matchday 1 opener — the toughest possible start. Bayern at home in November is the glamour fixture of Atlético's entire draw — Simeone vs Kompany, the Metropolitano against the German machine, Julián Álvarez vs Harry Kane. The Couch will be there in spirit. Man United at home in October is a psychological examination for both clubs. The system will be tested. It may or may not hold.
The Curse
Two UCL finals. Two defeats. 2014 — Real Madrid, extra time, a 93rd-minute Sergio Ramos header. 2016 — Real Madrid again, on penalties. The eternal nearly-men of European football. A club that has reached the very highest level twice and been denied both times by their own city rivals. Simeone has done more with less than almost any other manager in UCL history. The trophy remains the missing piece. Álvarez was signed specifically to be the solution. The Couch watches each European campaign with one eye on the 93rd minute and one eye on the penalty spot.
League Phase Draw
Liverpool away at Anfield on September 9 — matchday 1, the hardest possible opener. Bayern at home at the Metropolitano in November — the league phase's most physically and emotionally charged fixture. Man United at home in October is a match neither club can afford to lose. Viking and Fenerbahçe at home are the comfortable home points. Stuttgart and PSV away are manageable European trips. Bodø/Glimt away in Norway in January — a point might be a good result for Atleti. Atlético should qualify in the top 16 for a playoff, but might be tough for them to make the top 8.
Couch Verdict
Atlético Madrid give you every reason not to believe — mid-table league form, defensive pragmatism, a manager who has been doing this for 15 years — and then they go on a Champions League run that defies all logic. But not this time. Despite Simeone. Despite Álvarez. And despite The Metropolitano. The Couch picks them to be eliminated in the playoffs, making their premature exit one of the biggest surprises of this year's competition. Of course, with the Couch's innate and proven ability to predict exactly what will not happen, do not be surprised if Atleti go on a tear like the last time around, and eliminate one of the favourites (like they did Barcelona in last year).
+ League Phase Schedule (8 matches)
🏠 Home — Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano, Madrid
13 OctP2 Manchester United
3 NovP1 Bayern München
25 NovP4 Viking FK
27 JanP3 Fenerbahçe
✈️ Away
9 SepP1 Liverpool · Anfield, Liverpool
20 OctP4 VfB Stuttgart · MHP Arena, Stuttgart
9 DecP2 PSV Eindhoven · Philips Stadion, Eindhoven
19 JanP3 Bodø/Glimt · Aspmyra Stadion, Bodø
🦁
Aston Villa
EMERY'S MASTERPIECE · EUROPA LEAGUE CHAMPIONS · VILLA PARK AT NIGHT
The Gaffer
Unai Emery — The tactical genius who won the Europa League with Villarreal, and then last year with Aston Villa, and has brought top 4 / top 6 finishes in the Premier League as an expectation now at Villa Park, just a few years after getting promoted from the Championship. He suffered a painful summer: Rogers, Martínez, Konsa, Watkins, Tielemans — all gone. But rebuilding under pressure is Emery's specific expertise. If he can mould the new arrivals into a coherent unit before the league phase ends, Villa under the lights at Villa Park are a genuinely dangerous proposition. The Couch has been an Emery believer for a while now. Nothing has changed.
The Spine
Johan Manzambi (£59.5m, ex-Freiburg — the Rogers replacement; athletic, technical, 24 years old; injured at the start of the season, but the ability is unquestionable) · Nicolas Jackson (ex-Chelsea — the Senegalese striker who now has a manager capable of unlocking his very best) · Ibrahim Mbaye (ex-PSG — dynamic wide forward with Champions League and France World Cup pedigree; knows the big stage) · João Gomes (£38m, ex-Wolves — the combative engine in the deeper midfield role) · Matty Cash (right-back, Villa fixture, a player who rises to European occasions).
The Couch's Read
They lost Morgan Rogers (£117m), Emiliano Martínez, Ezri Konsa, Ollie Watkins, and Youri Tielemans in one summer. Five of their most important players, gone in a single window. And yet — this is Unai Emery. The man who came to Villa Park and within a season had them back in European competition. The man who can lay a claim for the Europa League to be named after. Villa's draw has handed them PSG and Dortmund at home — extraordinary European nights at Villa Park that will define the club's modern identity. Emery is a Dark Horse manager. Villa Park under the lights is one of English football's great atmospheres. The question is whether the squad has enough depth, after such a dramatic summer, to sustain a run of more than six games.
The Curse
Two European Cups, Europa League Trophy, 40 Years of Mostly Nothing — Yet, Aston Villa are the sixth most successful English club in history. While they did great in their last Champions League campaign — giving the eventual champions PSG a run for their money in the quarter-finals, it came at the cost of them not doing well in the Premier League, and not qualifying the next year for UCL. The fixture congestion of the Champions League has broken many squads with less to overcome, and even Unai Emery may not have the squad depth to be the antidote. To make things even more challenging, Villa have, through the first three matches in the Premier League, scored a grand total of zero goals, and are languishing towards the bottom of the EPL table.
League Phase Draw
PSG at Villa Park and Borussia Dortmund at Villa Park. Read that again. Two of the most glamorous clubs in European football visiting Birmingham for Champions League nights. The Couch cannot overstate how extraordinary this is for a club that was in the lower tiers of English football in not too distant times. Away — Barcelona is an almost certain defeat, and Galatasaray in Istanbul is electric and unpleasant. Villa need to be ruthless at home. Win both Villa Park showpieces and this becomes a legendary campaign regardless of what follows.
Couch Verdict
The most romantic story in the group. Dark Horse by every definition. Emery has done more with less on multiple occasions. If Mbaye and Jackson find form and Manzambi returns quickly from injury, Villa are dangerous at home to absolutely anyone. The Couch thinks they make the knockout round — and cause at least one legendary result before their campaign fizzles out.
+ League Phase Schedule (8 matches)
🏠 Home — Villa Park, Birmingham
14 OctP3 Fenerbahçe
21 OctP4 Viking FK
8 DecP1 PSG
19 JanP2 Borussia Dortmund
✈️ Away
8 SepP3 Club Brugge · Jan Breydel Stadion
3 NovP1 Barcelona · Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys
24 NovP3 Galatasaray · Rams Park, Istanbul
27 JanP4 Slavia Praha · Fortuna Arena
TIER 4 · 15 CLUBS
⚡ Chaos Agents
Unpredictable. Passionate. Likely to qualify for the knockout stage, but not more. But they are fully capable of one legendary result before their tournament ends. These teams will supply the most dramatic moments, the shock results, and the goals that make highlight reels forever.
🔵⚪
Porto
Primeira Liga Champions 25–26 · Pot 2 · Porto in the UCL is always worth a watch. The Dragon Stadium on a European night, the Simeone-like intensity of their football. Solid operators.
+ schedule
HOME: Man City · PSV · Napoli · Slavia Praha
AWAY: Liverpool · Real Betis · Feyenoord · LASK
POT 2
🟡🔴
Galatasaray
Super Lig Champions 25–26 · Pot 3 · The Ali Sami Yen on a European night is one of European football's most hostile environments. Galatasaray are capable of taking points from anyone at home.
+ schedule
HOME: Barcelona · Aston Villa · Feyenoord · Stuttgart
AWAY: Paris · Sporting CP · Lille · AEK Athens
POT 3
🔵⚪
Napoli
Serie A runners-up 25–26 · Pot 3 · The Couch thinks Napoli can reach the last 16 and push beyond it if the draw is kind. Never boring, always capable of something extraordinary.
+ schedule
HOME: Arsenal · Club Brugge · Bodø/Glimt · Viking
AWAY: Man City · Porto · Villarreal · Sabah
POT 3
🟢⚪
Sporting CP
Primeira Liga 2nd 25–26 · Pot 2 · Sporting are a proper European side now. The academy pipeline continues to produce. A consistent presence in the knockout play-offs at minimum.
+ schedule
HOME: Barcelona · Man United · Galatasaray · LASK
AWAY: Man City · Roma · Shakhtar · Lens
POT 2
🟢⚪
Real Betis
La Liga 5th 25–26 (EPS) · Pot 2 · First UCL since 2005–06 — twenty-one years away. The Couch wishes Betis wonderful European evenings in Seville. The ceiling is the league phase. The return is worth celebrating regardless.
+ schedule
HOME: Arsenal · Porto · Feyenoord · Como
AWAY: Bayern München · Dortmund · Lille · Slovan Bratislava
POT 2
🔴⚪
PSV Eindhoven
Eredivisie Champions 25–26 · Pot 2 · Consistent Dutch operators. Individual quality is improving. A genuine dark horse to reach the knockout play-offs and push into the Round of 16.
+ schedule
HOME: Atleti · Club Brugge · Shakhtar · Stuttgart
AWAY: Real Madrid · Porto · Leipzig · Viking
POT 2
🔵⚫
Club Brugge
Belgian Champions 25–26 · Pot 2 · Reliable Belgian representative. Jan Breydel Stadium is a proper European ground. Brugge compete well at home and are overachievers on the continental stage.
+ schedule
HOME: Liverpool · Aston Villa · Bodø/Glimt · Lens
AWAY: Inter · PSV · Napoli · Stuttgart
POT 2
🔴⚪
Feyenoord
Eredivisie 2nd 25–26 · Pot 3 · De Kuip is a fortress. Feyenoord play a high-energy, aggressive style that can trouble anyone at home. Away from Rotterdam is a different story.
+ schedule
HOME: Inter · Porto · Leipzig · Como
AWAY: Barcelona · Real Betis · Galatasaray · Viking
POT 3
🟡🔴
Roma
Serie A 3rd 25–26 · Pot 2 · La Lupa returns to the Champions League with Roman passion, attacking quality, and the Stadio Olimpico on European nights. Volatile away from home — lethal in Rome. Real Madrid at the Olimpico is the fixture everyone will watch. The Couch thinks they sneak through the league phase and cause trouble in the last 16.
+ schedule
HOME: Real Madrid · Slovan Bratislava · Sporting CP · Lille
AWAY: Fenerbahçe · Man United · PSG · AEK Athens
POT 2
🔴⚫
Lens
Ligue 1 2nd 25–26 · Pot 4 · Back in the UCL. A proper industrial footballing town with a passionate fanbase. Bollaert-Delelis will be a proper European night when they draw a big side.
+ schedule
HOME: Man City · Sporting CP · Bodø/Glimt · Como
AWAY: Liverpool · Club Brugge · Leipzig · Slavia Praha
POT 4
🔵🟡
Fenerbahçe
Pot 3 · Playoff qualifier — Lyon did not make it. The Şükrü Saracoğlu on a European night is one of continental football's most formidable atmospheres. Fenerbahçe will be dangerous at home and difficult for anyone.
+ schedule
HOME: Liverpool · Roma · Villarreal · Slavia Praha
AWAY: Atleti · Aston Villa · Shakhtar · LASK
POT 3 · QUALIFIER
🟠⚫
Bodø/Glimt
Norwegian runners-up · Pot 3 · Return to the UCL. The Arctic club that caused a stir in their previous campaigns. Playing in Norway means European home games in remarkably cold conditions. The Couch respects the grit.
+ schedule
HOME: Atleti · Dortmund · Lille · LASK
AWAY: Bayern München · Club Brugge · Napoli · Lens
POT 3 · PLAYOFF
🔵⚫
Como 1907
Serie A · Pot 4 · First Champions League campaign in the club's history. Their reward: PSG at home and Barcelona away. The Couch cannot think of a more extraordinary debut UCL draw. Whatever happens on the pitch, Como's fans will have stories to tell for the rest of their lives.
+ schedule
HOME: Leipzig · Man United · AEK Athens · PSG
AWAY: Feyenoord · Lens · Real Betis · Barcelona
POT 4
🔴⚫
RB Leipzig
Bundesliga 3rd 25–26 · Pot 3 · Leipzig continue their reliable European presence. Not glamorous. Not underestimated anymore. Effective in the pressing game when it clicks.
+ schedule
HOME: Man City · PSV · Shakhtar · Lens
AWAY: Real Madrid · Man United · Feyenoord · Como
POT 3
🟡🔵
Villarreal
La Liga 3rd 25–26 · Pot 3 · El Submarino Amarillo. Always underestimated. Always capable of a run. The Couch has been burned by Villarreal before and will be again.
+ schedule
HOME: Paris · Man United · Napoli · Sabah
AWAY: Liverpool · Dortmund · Fenerbahçe · Slavia Praha
POT 3
TIER 5 · 9 CLUBS
✈️ League Phase Tourists
They qualified. They're here. That is already a historic achievement for most of them. Their fans will have the time of their lives. Their coaches will have the time of their nightmares. Every one of them will treasure it forever.
🔴⚫
Lille
Ligue 1 3rd 25–26 · Pot 3 · Stade Pierre-Mauroy. UCL winners in 2020–21, which remains one of the great shocks of recent memory. Not a pushover. Experienced in Europe.
+ schedule
HOME: Bayern München · Real Betis · Galatasaray · Slovan Bratislava
AWAY: Arsenal · Roma · Bodø/Glimt · Stuttgart
POT 3
🔴⚪
VfB Stuttgart
Bundesliga 4th 25–26 · Pot 4 · Stuttgart in the UCL is a relatively new and fascinating thing. Good pressing team. Young squad. Could take points from some Pot 1 and Pot 2 sides.
+ schedule
HOME: Atleti · Club Brugge · Lille · Viking
AWAY: Inter · PSV · Galatasaray · Slovan Bratislava
POT 4
🔴⚫
Shakhtar Donetsk
Ukrainian Champions 25–26 · Pot 3 · Remarkable that Shakhtar are still competing at this level given all they've endured. A club that deserves acknowledgment beyond football results alone.
+ schedule
HOME: Real Madrid · Sporting CP · Fenerbahçe · AEK Athens
AWAY: Inter · PSV · Leipzig · Slovan Bratislava
POT 3
⚫🔴
Slavia Prague
Czech Champions 25–26 · Pot 4 · Regular UCL presences now. Organised, physical, difficult to beat at home. Likely to make the league phase competitive even in a tough group.
+ schedule
HOME: Arsenal · Aston Villa · Villarreal · Lens
AWAY: Bayern München · Porto · Fenerbahçe · Sabah
POT 4
⚪🔴
LASK
Austrian Champions · Pot 4 · Austrian representatives. Organised, determined, and aware that they are massive underdogs in this company. A win in the league phase would be a famous result.
+ schedule
HOME: Liverpool · Porto · Fenerbahçe · Slovan Bratislava
AWAY: Real Madrid · Sporting CP · Bodø/Glimt · AEK Athens
POT 4 · PLAYOFF
🟡⚫
AEK Athens
Pot 4 · Playoff qualifier — Levski Sofia did not make it. Greek football is in the league phase. The OPAP Arena will be vocal and hostile on European nights. AEK have the history and quality to compete and take a scalp.
+ schedule
HOME: Real Madrid · Roma · Galatasaray · LASK
AWAY: Man City · Dortmund · Shakhtar · Como
POT 4 · QUALIFIER
🔵⚪
Slovan Bratislava
Slovak champions · Pot 4 · Through qualifying and into the league phase. PSG away on matchday 1 is the welcome. Inter at home in January is the send-off. The journey to get here was the achievement. The Couch salutes every kilometre of it.
+ schedule
HOME: Stuttgart · Real Betis · Shakhtar · Inter
AWAY: PSG · Roma · LASK · Lille
POT 4
🔵⚪
Viking FK
Pot 4 · Playoff qualifier — Dinamo Zagreb did not make it. Two Norwegian clubs in the same UCL league phase: Viking and Bodø/Glimt. The SR-Bank Arena in Stavanger will host Real Madrid, Bayern, PSV, and more. Remarkable.
+ schedule
HOME: Bayern München · PSV · Feyenoord · Sabah
AWAY: Atleti · Aston Villa · Napoli · Stuttgart
POT 4 · QUALIFIER
🔵🟡
Sabah FK
Azerbaijan · Pot 4 · First ever UCL appearance. Azerbaijan in the Champions League is a testament to how broad European football has become. The Couch wishes them historic moments.
+ schedule
HOME: Barcelona · Dortmund · Napoli · Slavia Praha
AWAY: Arsenal · Man United · Villarreal · Viking
POT 4 · DEBUT