Rodri and De Bruyne vs City: Who will Maresca's team face in the UCL?

The draw for the 2026/2027 UEFA Champions League league phase Manchester Citypresented truly dramatic scenarios for. After Pep Guardiola's departure, the new manager of the "Cityzens", Enzo Maresca, aims to bring this prestigious trophy back to the Etihad for only the second time in club history.

Having been Guardiola's assistant during the 2022/2023 treble season, Maresca must now, as head coach, put an end to the failures on the European stage (defeats to Real Madrid in the last two seasons).

Manchester City's opponents in the league phase:

The "Cityzens" will play a total of 8 intense matches in the league phase:

• Paris Saint-Germain — at home

• Barcelona — away

• Sporting CP — at home

• Porto — away

• Napoli — at home

• RB Leipzig — away

• AEK Athens — at home

• Lens — away

Facing former heroes: Clash with Rodri and De Bruyne!

The biggest intrigue of the draw Manchester Citylegends facing their former club:

• Rodri vs City at Camp Nou: The Spanish midfielder, who moved to Barcelona last week for £65.4 million, will face his 2023 treble-winning teammates in the second round of the league phase;

• Kevin De Bruyne and Napoli: After a brilliant nine-year spell at City, the Belgian playmaker returns to the Etihad as an opponent;

• Defending champion — PSG: One of the main rivals for the Manchester side will be the reigning European champions, the powerful Paris Saint-Germain.

Competition calendar and new format

Champions League league phase matches will run from September 8 to January 27. In the single table of 36 clubs:

• 1st–8th places: Qualify directly for the Round of 16;

• 9th–24th places: Compete in the knockout phase play-offs.

Maresca's squad is ready to prove their strength on the international stage following a defeat to Arsenal in the Community Shield (0-3) and a hard-fought win over Bournemouth in the Premier League opener (2-1).