The draw marks a significant moment for Turkish football, as it will be the first time since the 2001-2002 season that both Istanbul giants, Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray, compete simultaneously in Europe’s premier club competition. Fenerbahçe earned their place in the Champions League proper for the first time since the 2008-09 season after defeating Lyon in the playoffs earlier this week. Their league-phase schedule includes home matches against Liverpool, Roma, Villarreal and Slavia Prague, as well as away trips to Atletico Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk, Aston Villa and new entrant LASK.
Liverpool’s opponents in the league phase were not fully detailed in the available reports, but the competition features a high caliber of teams including two-time defending champions Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester City. PSG, who retained the trophy in May by beating Arsenal on penalties, will host Barcelona, Roma and Slovan Bratislava, while also traveling to England to face Manchester City and Aston Villa. Galatasaray, the Turkish champions, will host Barcelona and travel to Paris to face PSG, alongside other opponents including Sporting CP, Feyenoord, Lille, Stuttgart and AEK Athens.
The league phase will conclude in late January, with the top eight teams qualifying directly for the round of 16, while teams finishing 9th through 24th will enter the knockout round play-offs. The inclusion of new clubs like LASK, Como and Sabah in the 36-team field reflects the expanded format of the competition. UEFA’s announcement of the specific match dates is pending, but the confirmed opponents provide a clear picture of the challenges ahead for Fenerbahçe as they seek to establish themselves in the new era of the Champions League.
