Who Are Man City Playing in 2025–26 Champions League?

Manchester City have underperformed in the Champions League since winning it.

Man City are looking to bounce back in from European disappointment. / Michael Regan/Getty Images

Manchester City are looking to make amends in the Champions League this season.

Since European glory crowned a historic treble for the club in 2022–23, City haven’t been beyond the last eight of the Champions League.

Last season, Pep Guardiola’s team struggled through the inaugural league phase, only managing to win three of their eight games and scraping into the knockouts with a 22nd place finish. Unseeded in the knockout play-off round, they were subsequently dumped out by perennial foe Real Madrid.

But 2025–26 is a fresh start for a new look City squad and the European goal begins again with eight opponents to navigate in this opening round.

Next. 2025-26 Draw in Full. 2025–26 Champions League Draw in Full. dark

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Full List of Man City’s 2025–26 Champions League Opponents

Team	Country	Pot
Borussia Dortmund (H)	Germany	1
Real Madrid (A)	Spain	1
Bayer Leverkusen (H)	Germany	2
Villarreal (A)	Spain	2
Napoli (H)	Italy	3
Bodø/Glimt (A)	Norway	3
Galatasaray (H)	Türkiye	4
Monaco (A)	France	4

City cannot seem to get away from Real Madrid. A trip to the Santiago Bernabéu marks the fifth season in a row the clubs will have faced each other.

A reunion at the Etihad Stadium with Kevin De Bruyne, who signed with Napoli following his release at the end of last season, also awaits in what stands to be a tough league phase, overall, includes Galatasaray, Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen and current La Liga leaders Villarreal.

Away trips to Monaco and Bodø/Glimt represent challenges too, especially because the latter could entail playing inside the Arctic Circle in the depths on winter, depending on the fixture list.

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2025–26 Champions League: Full League Phase Schedule

Man City’s full league phase schedule has now been confirmed, and it’s the De Bruyne homecoming which kicks things off. City are then visiting Monaco, while many will keep a note of December 10, when they travel to Real Madrid. Their campaign concludes at home to Galatasaray on 28 January,

Round	Date	Fixture
Matchday 1	September 16	Man City vs. Napoli
Matchday 2	October 1	Monaco vs. Man City
Matchday 3	October 21	Villarreal vs. Man City
Matchday 4	November 5	Man City vs. Borussia Dortmund
Matchday 5	November 25	Man City vs. Bayer Leverkusen
Matchday 6	December 10	Real Madrid vs. Man City
Matchday 7	January 20	Bodo/Glimt vs. Man City
Matchday 8	January 28	Man City vs. Galatasaray

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