Barcelona face a formidable challenge as two Premier League giants await them in the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League group stage draw.
FC Barcelona’s journey to European glory will face a significant challenge as the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League season approaches, after a bittersweet last season where they were the champions in Spain, but couldn’t get it done in Europe.
Hansi Flick coached Barcelona to three domestic titles, but agonizingly lost to Inter Milan in the Champions League semi-finals in extra time.
Barcelona will look to win the Champions League title again to end the 10-year title drought and wants to mount a stronger effort to win the European Cup.
The new structure of this season’s tournament, acclimated to the competition’s new norm with many of their opponents expected to be strong, will be a big test for Barcelona’s potential success.
Based on this, Barcelona will play two English Premier League teams in the league phase of the 2025/26 Champions League, based on this season’s new structure and England sending six teams to represent the EPL in the competition: Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea, Newcastle United, and Tottenham Hotspur, as reported by ESPN.
UEFA Regulations state that clubs from the same country cannot be drawn to play against each other in the group stage and have limited matchups to a maximum of 2 clubs per country.
Allowing for a draw in which non-English Pot 1 teams like Barcelona draw two English sides in Pot number two, and they may draw heavyweights like Arsenal, or clubs like Tottenham and Newcastle in Pot 3 and Pot 4 positions instead of lesser opponents like Ferencváros or Slavia Prague.
That draw dynamic creates a more difficult challenge for Barcelona than last season, when they were fortunate to avoid Premier League clubs in the group stage.
The English clubs, because they cannot play against each other, will duel two Pot 1 teams, while the draw brings added complexity to the situation for Barcelona.
The draw will take place on August 28th, and Flick’s side must be prepared for a serious examination against England’s best, and if they are to reclaim their place at the top of Europe.
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