Liverpool will soon discover their opponents for the 2026–27 Champions League league phase as they hunt a seventh European crown in their first season under Andoni Iraola.

Thursday‘s Champions League draw will confirm their eight different adversaries for the competition’s league phase, which is in its third campaign after replacing the group stage.

A top-eight finish in the 36-team league table ensures direct passage to the last 16, while those placed between ninth and 24th will be forced to enter the playoff round. Sides who come 25th or below are eliminated altogether.

Those of a Liverpool persuasion will be keeping their fingers crossed for a straightforward schedule, but it all depends on whether Lady Luck is on their side.

Here are the clubs they could face in the league phase.

What 2026–27 Champions League Pot Are Liverpool In?

After years of regular appearances in the knockout stage of the Champions League—and even a title under Jürgen Klopp in 2019—the Reds have earned their place in Pot 1 for the upcoming draw.

However, pots are less important than they were during the group stage era of the competition, with Liverpool having to play two sides from each of the four pots—including their own.

That means some tricky ties are guaranteed.

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

Liverpool know they can’t face any other English opponents during the league phase, ruling out matches against Arsenal, Aston Villa, Manchester City and Manchester United. They’re also unable to play more than two matches against opponents from the same nation.

One other quirk of the draw for Liverpool is that they can’t play against Real Madrid at Anfield, with rules stipulating that no specific fixture can be played three years in a row during the league phase. They can, however, face the record European champions on the road at the Bernabéu.

Los Blancos are one of six potential Pot 1 opponents for Iraola’s men, alongside current European champions Paris Saint-Germain. Liverpool will be desperate to avoid the back-to-back winners who have knocked them out during the last two campaigns, and they will also wish to swerve Barcelona and Bayern Munich.

The most palatable Pot 1 opponents are Atlético Madrid and Serie A champions Inter. While two undeniably fierce foes, Liverpool did beat both of them during last year’s league phase.

There are some really difficult opponents in Pot 2 as well. 2023–24 finalists Borussia Dortmund would prove a mighty challenge in the Klopp derby, while the likes of Roma, Sporting CP and Porto could cause issues. Liverpool might be more keen on meetings with two of Club Brugge, PSV Eindhoven and Real Betis.

The Arne Slot derby with Feyenoord is a possibility, with the Dutch outfit featuring alongside the likes of Napoli, RB Leipzig, Lille and Villarreal in Pot 3. A trip to Türkiye to face Fenerbahçe or Galatasaray—the latter beating Liverpool twice last season—would pose problems, as would a trip to the Arctic Circle to face giant-killers Bodø/Glimt.

An away game against Shakhtar Donestk would suit the Merseysiders, who would only be forced to travel to Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge—the venue being used by Shakhtar amid the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

Pot 4 features four Champions League debutants. Como are making their first appearance, but Liverpool won’t want to face Cesc Fàbregas’s side, who proved tough opposition during preseason. Azerbaijan’s Sabah, Norway’s Viking and Austria’s LASK would be simpler adversaries—the Reds beating the latter home and away in the 2023–24 Europa League.

Stuttgart and Lens are tricky tests in Pot 4, while AEK Athens are making their competition return for the first time since 2018–19. Yaya Touré’s Slovan Bratislava are also potential opponents.

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