Winners and Losers of the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League League Stage Draw

Year two of the new Champions League is upon us.

UEFA's redesigned format once again does away with four-team groups in exchange for a 36-team league phase that pits the very best teams against each other quicker than before.

Thursday's draw in Lyon has marked the route forward for this year's qualified teams, serving up some bangers in the process. Let's look at who will be happy and who will be annoyed with their draw.

Winner: Anfield Drama

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Trent Alexander-Arnold

There's nothing quite like Anfield on a Champions League night. Except, Anfield on a Champions League night when former Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold is due to return.

Real Madrid's trip to Merseyside is arguably the biggest fixture of the draw before you consider the sub-plot. Trent left amid a flurry of anger from Liverpool fans, the boyhood Red walking away on the cheap after failing to agree a new contract. He's a legend for those who still accept him, a unique right-back whose attacking quality juxtaposes his weakness in defence.

Now the big question: will he even be in Xabi Alonso's starting XI when that fixture arrives? He was dropped from the team after a difficult La Liga debut, making way for Dani Carvajal, who also took the armband.

Either way, it's going to be a difficult night for the Englishman, whether he's embarrassed by being on the bench or being jeered every time he touches the ball.

Loser: PSG's Schedule of Death

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Poor Paris Saint-Germain.

The defending champions were handed an unkind draw on Thursday, echoing the run of death they had to get through en route to winning the competition for the first time last season.

Luis Enrique will have been hoping for a little respite. Perhaps a minnow or two to secure some basic points.

Not happening.

PSG will face Bayern Munich, Atalanta, Tottenham and Newcastle at home. They'll also travel to Barcelona, Leverkusen, Sporting and Athletic Club. That's an incredibly tough schedule that features potential winners, dark horses and seasoned European teams.

PSG's evolution en route to their triumph showcased real resilience. Their 1-0 Round of 16 win over Liverpool at Anfield and subsequent victory on penalties signalled a turning point in their history and the moment people took notice. Their adaptability and calmness under pressure will need to be on show again this year as everyone will be gunning for them.

Winners: Arsenal's Slate Compared to Rivals

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Viktor Gyokeres

Mikel Arteta needs to alleviate some of the intensifying spotlight by winning a big trophy for Arsenal. Only the Premier League or Champions League will be enough.

His squad is in phenomenal shape, filled with top-quality stars, depth in each position, and finally, a Champions League-proven striker in Viktor Gyokeres. There should be a sense of relief about the Gunners' draw when compared to other English sides, as the schedule really should provide ample opportunity to keep the team fresh without sacrificing results.

Arteta will prepare his side to play Bayern, Atletico, Olympiacos and Kairat Almaty at home, interspersed with trips to Inter, Club Brugge, Slavia Prague and Athletic Club. Most of the elite teams have at least two fixtures where you think they may struggle.

Arsenal have one.

Losers: Barcelona's Luck

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Lamine Yamal

Much like PSG, Barca will be disappointed with a draw that puts them in a tougher situation than most.

Pulling an away trip to Newcastle as one of your Pot 4 matches is as difficult as it gets. Eddie Howe's team are physical, packed with pace and a midfield that will gladly smash through opponents to the thrill of the local crowd. St. James' Park is raucous and Barca fans may be nervous to witness the potential treatment Lamine Yamal and others flair players are going to receive.

Alongside that, Barca have to find a way beyond defending European champions PSG and Club World Cup winners Chelsea.

Hansi Flick's side ran into issues against teams they were expected to comfortably beat last season, losing to Monaco, drawing with Atalanta and getting run close by Benfica multiple times. There's no room to struggle like that again.

Winners: New Teams

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Kairat's Jorginho and Egor Sorokin

It's easy to forget the Champions League isn't just about the big boys. This year's competition sees four debutant teams get rewarded with mouth-watering fixtures that will go down in each club's history.

Pafos were only established 11 years ago and they get the pure joy of welcoming Bayern to Cyprus. Dream trips to Chelsea and Juventus headline a schedule that also pits them against fellow newcomers Kairat Almaty.

Kairat brilliantly took down Celtic to qualify and will now test themselves against Real Madrid, Inter and Arsenal. That's absolutely huge for football in Kazakhstan and each fixture will bring the nation to a standstill.

Both Bodo\Glimt and Union Saint-Gilloise are likely more familiar to many viewers, particularly those who watch the lower-tier European competitions. Bodo\Glimt are blessed with a ridiculous run that includes Manchester City, Dortmund, Juventus, Atletico and Tottenham. Union SG received Inter, Bayern and Atletico along their journey.

The above fixtures may yield zero points across the board. You know what? It doesn't matter.

The new format rewards small sides with momentous matches and gives them a chance to create history across one matchday rather than finishing bottom of a four-team group after playing the same three opponents twice.