Mourinho's influence was in the air, and in the draw in Monte Carlo, it even doubled: with his Real Madrid, the 'Special One' will meet Inter Milan, with whom he won the treble 16 years ago, at the Bernabeu, and Roma, at the Olimpico, reuniting with the fans where he won his last international trophy, the Conference League, in 2022. The Italian champions also face Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund, while the Giallorossi will face United away—at an Old Trafford that evokes unpleasant European memories—and the reigning two-time champions Paris Saint-Germain.

Two teams that will instead christen the Giuseppe Sinigaglia stadium in Como in the name of top-flight football (assuming UEFA gives its final approval, the alternative is the Mapei stadium in Reggio Emilia), with Fabregas's team also drawing a prestigious trip to Barcelona's Camp Nou . Allegri's Napoli face a double English threat, hosting outgoing finalists Arsenal at the Maradona while taking on Manchester City at the Etihad. In addition to them, Italy-killer Bodo/Glimt will also be present, albeit avoiding the Norwegian trip.

These are the main opponents of the Italian teams in the domestic league phase of the 2026/27 Champions League . The final schedule will have to wait until Saturday, before the competition for the Champions League Cup kicks off on Tuesday, September 8th. There's still some uncertainty regarding the distribution of matches, which, as the first two seasons of a single-group format have shown, plays a significant role both internally and in tying in with the leagues, but clubs can already draw up ideal schedules.

Chivu's Inter are aiming to secure a spot in the top eight, as they did last year, when a run of three consecutive defeats between the fifth and seventh leagues proved fatal. Among these, Liverpool will return to San Siro, and a different result will be needed, while the victorious trip to Dortmund will also be a recurring theme. The most important match is at the Bernabeu against Real Madrid (where Inter won only once, 2-0, in the Champions League 60 years ago). For the rest, victories will be needed at home against Club Brugge, Stuttgart, and Shakhtar Donetsk, and away against Feyenoord and Slovan Bratislava.

For Allegri, the minimum objective is to succeed where—due to turnover and injuries—Conte's Napoli failed last year: at least reach the play-offs. Arsenal and Manchester City (again at the Etihad, where last September they won 2-0 to the English side) are a tough challenge, and Farioli's Porto will want to perform well against an Italian side. Otherwise, Brugge, Bodo/Glimt, and Viking at home, and Villarreal and Sabah away are not the most difficult of opponents, with the Norwegians and Azerbaijanis making their Champions League debuts.

There are no comparisons possible with last season for Roma and Como . The draw hasn't been kind to the Giallorossi, considering their second-tier position: in addition to the extremely tough matches against Real Madrid (at home) and in Paris and Manchester – the Red Devils' side – Gasperini's team will also face Fenerbahce away (as well as AEK Athens), with the Olimpico having to do its part against Sporting Lisbon, Lille, and Slovan Bratislava. Last year, a play-off could have been reached with just nine points, a threshold the Grugliasco-born coach would like to surpass by a margin. This is the first round of a highly prestigious tournament among Europe's big clubs for Fabregas' Como, who will welcome PSG, United, Leipzig, and AEK, and who will travel to face Real Betis, Feyenoord, and Lens, as well as Barcelona – a match that will particularly tempt the Spanish coach. The goal of reaching the top 24 is not impossible for the Como side. Among the big teams, PSG will face Barcelona and City, Arsenal will face Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, while Liverpool will face Inter Milan and Atlético Madrid. With just ten more days to wait, the big leagues will return to Europe's stadiums.

(Unioneonline)

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