Champions League Draw: PSG Faces Man City, Barcelona; Real Madrid Meets Inter Milan

The draw for the Champions League main phase has set the stage for several high-profile clashes, with defending champions Paris Saint-Germain set to face Manchester City and Barcelona. The draw, featuring 36 teams, was made Thursday in Monaco.

PSG boasts a strong recent record against Barcelona, having won their last three visits, including a 2-1 victory in the league phase last October. This contrasts sharply with their infamous 6-1 defeat in March 2017, a match known as "La Remontada."

Real Madrid faces a challenging path, including a matchup with Inter Milan and two away games in London against Arsenal and Shakhtar Donetsk. Notably, Ukraine's champion will play its home games at Stamford Bridge, the former home of Madrid's returning coach, José Mourinho.

Barcelona's draw includes matches against Manchester City and Europa League winners Aston Villa, as well as a reunion with former player Cesc Fabregas, now coaching newcomer Como. The Catalan club also faces a long trip to Azerbaijan to play debutant Sabah.

This season marks the debut of four new teams: Como from Italy, LASK from Austria, Viking from Norway, and Azerbaijani champion Sabah, founded in 2017. The competition also features an African coach, Yaya Touré, leading Slovakian champion Slovan Bratislava into the main phase.