A simulation of the upcoming Champions League league phase draw has been conducted to predict Arsenal’s potential opponents for the 2026/27 competition.
The north London club is seeking to go one better than last season after reaching the final in Budapest, where they were beaten by Paris Saint-Germain following a penalty shootout.
Mikel Arteta’s squad is determined to claim the club’s first European Cup in May 2027, which would mark a historic achievement for the institution.
The draw itself takes place on Thursday and will determine the fixtures for the third season of the Champions League’s restructured format.
The 36 participating clubs have been divided into four pots of nine teams each.
From each pot, every side will be paired with two opponents, resulting in a total of eight fixtures per club.
Restrictions prevent teams from the same nation from being drawn against one another, while no side can be assigned more than two opponents from any single association.
The selection process is carried out electronically by a computer system.
Using an online tool ahead of the official ceremony, the draw was simulated to gauge what awaits the English champions.
The results produced several compelling fixtures.
A home encounter with Real Madrid was among the outcomes.
The Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior would likely encounter a hostile atmosphere at the Emirates Stadium, having declined the opportunity to move to north London during the summer transfer window and instead committing his future to the Bernabeu outfit.
An away trip to the Metropolitano Stadium to face Atletico Madrid also featured in the simulated draw.
Diego Simeone’s side will be seeking redemption after Arsenal eliminated them at the semi-final stage last term.
The issue of Julian Alvarez’s potential involvement remains unresolved, with the Argentine forward continuing to be associated with a move to the Premier League side amid ongoing speculation about his future.
From the second pot, a home fixture against Porto revisits the clubs’ round-of-16 second-leg meeting from 2024, when Arsenal required a penalty shootout to progress.
The third pot offered no respite, with a home game against RB Leipzig and an away match at Napoli presenting significant challenges.
Leipzig concluded their domestic campaign in third position in the German top flight, while Napoli finished runners-up in Serie A.
The fourth pot comprised clubs who had either already advanced or were in the process of progressing through the qualifying play-off rounds.
Either Slovan Bratislava or Celje would make their debut appearance in the competition proper, alongside Sabah FK.
The simulated draw paired Arsenal with Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid from the Spanish contingent, with Porto, Club Brugge, Leipzig, Napoli, the Slovakian or Slovenian champions, and the Azerbaijani representatives completing the eight-game programme.