Who Could Liverpool Face? All You Need To Know About The 2026–27 Champions League Draw

Liverpool will shortly learn their opponents for the 2026–27 Champions League league phase as they chase a seventh European title in their first campaign under Andoni Iraola.

Thursday's Champions League draw will reveal their eight different rivals for the competition's league phase, now in its third edition following the replacement of the group stage.

A top-eight finish in the 36-team league table guarantees automatic progression to the last 16, while teams finishing between ninth and 24th must navigate the playoff round. Any side finishing 25th or lower will be knocked out entirely.

Liverpool supporters will be hoping for a favorable schedule, though it all comes down to the luck of the draw.

Here are the clubs they could be drawn against in the league phase.

What 2026–27 Champions League Pot Are Liverpool In?

Following years of consistent involvement in the Champions League knockout rounds—including a title triumph under Jürgen Klopp in 2019—the Reds have secured their spot in Pot 1 for the upcoming draw.

However, pot placement carries less significance than it did during the group stage era, with Liverpool required to face two clubs from each of the four pots—including their own.

That means some challenging matchups are inevitable.

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Liverpool's Potential 2026–27 Champions League League Phase Opponents

Liverpool are ineligible to face fellow English clubs in the league phase, meaning Arsenal, Aston Villa, Manchester City and Manchester United are all ruled out. They are also restricted from playing more than two matches against teams from the same country.

Another notable draw restriction for Liverpool is that they cannot host Real Madrid at Anfield, as regulations prevent the same fixture from being played three consecutive years in the league phase. They can, however, travel to face the record European champions at the Bernabéu.

Los Blancos are one of six possible Pot 1 opponents for Iraola's side, along with reigning European champions Paris Saint-Germain. Liverpool will be eager to avoid the back-to-back winners who have eliminated them in each of the past two seasons, and will similarly hope to dodge Barcelona and Bayern Munich.

The more manageable Pot 1 options are Atlético Madrid and Serie A champions Inter Milan. Though both are formidable opponents, Liverpool managed to defeat each of them during last season's league phase.

Pot 2 also contains some daunting names. 2023–24 finalists Borussia Dortmund would represent a significant test in what would be a Klopp derby, while Roma, Sporting CP and Porto could all pose difficulties. Liverpool may prefer encounters with Club Brugge, PSV Eindhoven and Real Betis.

A potential Arne Slot derby against Feyenoord looms in Pot 3, where the Dutch club sit alongside Napoli, RB Leipzig, Lille and Villarreal. Trips to Türkiye to take on Fenerbahçe or Galatasaray—the latter defeating Liverpool twice last campaign—would be problematic, as would a journey to the Arctic Circle to face giant-killers Bodø/Glimt.

An away fixture against Shakhtar Donetsk would suit the Merseysiders, as they would only need to travel to Chelsea's Stamford Bridge—the ground being used by Shakhtar due to the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

Pot 4 includes four Champions League newcomers. Como are making their debut in the competition, though Liverpool will be wary of Cesc Fàbregas's side after they proved a stern test during preseason. Azerbaijan's Sabah, Norway's Viking and Austria's LASK would represent more straightforward opposition—Liverpool having beaten the latter home and away in the 2023–24 Europa League.

Stuttgart and Lens present tricky challenges in Pot 4, while AEK Athens are returning to the competition for the first time since 2018–19. Yaya Touré's Slovan Bratislava are also among the potential opponents.

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