Liverpool draw Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan in 2026/27 Champions League league phase

Liverpool will face Atletico Madrid at Anfield and travel to Inter Milan in their most demanding fixtures of the 2026/27 Champions League league phase, following Thursday’s draw.

The six-time European champions have been eliminated by eventual winners PSG in each of the past two seasons, with last year’s exit arriving at the quarter-final stage. New head coach Andoni Iraola, who has taken over at Anfield, will be tasked with guiding the club beyond that barrier.

Seeded in pot one by virtue of their UEFA coefficient — alongside Arsenal, Manchester City, Real Madrid and Barcelona — Liverpool were drawn against opponents from all four pots, with one home and one away fixture from each.

Their full league-phase schedule is as follows: Atletico Madrid (home), Inter Milan (away), Porto (home), Club Brugge (away), Villarreal (home), Fenerbahce (away), Lens (home), and LASK (away). Kick-off dates and times are expected to be confirmed within 48 hours.

The revamped Champions League league phase features 36 clubs, each playing eight matches. Teams finishing in the top eight advance directly to the last 16, while those placed ninth to 24th enter a play-off round, with eight sides progressing from there. Clubs ranked 25th or below are eliminated. Teams cannot be drawn against opponents from the same country, and no side may face more than two clubs from a single nation.