Champions League draw 2026/27: Napoli face Arsenal and Manchester City, but avoid Norway trips
Napoli have been fortunate in the Champions League draw, as although they host Arsenal and visit Kevin De Bruyne’s old side Manchester City, they avoided some potentially dangerous trips to Bodo/Glimt and Viking.
The draw for the Champions League 2026/27 League Phase was performed this evening in Monaco.
For the third year in a row, the opening round has each team facing four opponents at home and four away, with all the points going into a single 36-side table.
The full Champions League fixture list with match dates and kick-off times is expected on Saturday August 29, with the first games kicking off on Tuesday September 8.
Despite winning the Scudetto in 2025 and finishing second last season, Napoli’s poor record in European competition saw them drop down to Pot 3 in the draw.
That had them paired with Premier League winners Arsenal and runners-up Manchester City, so Max Allegri is going to face the very best of the richest league in Europe.
Napoli beat Arsenal only once in December 2013, 2-0 at home, along with three defeats failing to score a single goal.
Their record with Manchester City is not dissimilar, a draw and a 2-1 victory in 2011 followed by three consecutive defeats, including 2-0 away in September 2025.
That game famously saw Giovanni Di Lorenzo sent off after just 21 minutes, prompting Antonio Conte to haul De Bruyne off as a substitute against his former club.
When it comes to the other teams, trips to Porto and Villarreal are bound to be fiery, but the toughest travel arrangements will need to be made for Sabah in Azerbaijan.
Considering they were paired with Bodo/Glimt and Viking, it is very fortunate that Napoli have both those fixtures at home, rather than visit Norway and play on the notoriously tricky artificial pitch.
Club Brugge at home complete the draw for the Partenopei, a side they beat home and away in the 2015 Europa League group phase.
Napoli Champions League draw
Arsenal (H)
Manchester City (A)
Club Brugge (H)
Porto (A)
Bodo/Glimt (H)
Villarreal (A)
Viking (H)
Sabah (A)
