Champions League draw 2026/27: Napoli face Arsenal and Manchester City, but avoid Norway trips
Quick summary
Napoli have been drawn against Arsenal and Manchester City in the 2026/27 Champions League league phase, avoiding long trips to Norway as the new-format draw was completed.
Full article
Attributed to original sourceNapoli 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.
NAPLES, ITALY – JANUARY 28: Rasmus Hojlund of SSC Napoli celebrates with teammates after scoring his team’s second goal during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD8 match between SSC Napoli and Chelsea FC at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on January 28, 2026 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images) 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.
NAPLES, ITALY – JULY 14: New SSC Napoli head coach Massimiliano Allegri is unveiled at Teatro di San Carlo on July 14, 2026 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images) 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.
CAGLIARI, ITALY – MARCH 20: Scott Francis Mctominay of Napoli celebrates his goal 0-1 with the team-mates during the Serie A match between Cagliari Calcio and SSC Napoli at Stadio Sant’Elia on March 20, 2026 in Cagliari, Italy. (Photo by Enrico Locci/Getty Images) 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.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 18: Kevin De Bruyne of Napoli leaves the pitch after being substituted whilst Pep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City, speaks to Erling Haaland of Manchester City during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD1 match between Manchester City and SSC Napoli at City of Manchester Stadium on September 18, 2025 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images) 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.
BODO, NORWAY – FEBRUARY 18: Jens Petter Hauge of Bodo/Glimt celebrates scoring his team’s second goal with teammate Kasper Hogh during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Knockout Play-off First Leg match between FK Bodo/Glimt and FC Internazionale Milano at Aspmyra Stadion on February 18, 2026 in Bodo, Norway. (Photo by Martin Ole Wold/Getty Images) Napoli Champions League draw Arsenal (H)
Manchester City (A)
Club Brugge (H)
Porto (A)
Bodo/Glimt (H)
Villarreal (A)
Viking (H)
Sabah (A)
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What happened
The 2026/27 Champions League league phase draw has paired Napoli with Premier League heavyweights Arsenal and Manchester City. The draw, which follows the competition's new Swiss-model format introduced in recent seasons, determines eight opponents for each club. Despite the tough English opposition, Napoli avoided travel to Norway, with the most distant destinations kept manageable. The league phase results will feed into the knockout round bracket, with top eight advancing directly and clubs finishing 9th–24th entering a playoff round.
Chance analysis
Napoli's draw sets up two marquee European nights against English opposition, reinforcing the competitive pull of the revamped Champions League format where elite clubs are guaranteed to meet. Facing Arsenal and Manchester City in the league phase gives Napoli a clear measuring stick against sides that regularly contend for the trophy, while sparing them the extreme travel demands that Norwegian venues would have imposed. How Conte's side navigates this group of eight will shape their seeding path into the knockouts and signal whether they belong among Europe's genuine contenders this season.
Napoli face a demanding Champions League league phase with two Premier League giants, raising the difficulty of their European campaign.