Reigning champions Arsenal had to kick off their campaign against record eight-time winners Lyon, who they beat in the semi-finals last season. This time they lost and they were also beaten by Bayern Munich in the league phase, meaning they had work to do to qualify. United had to face Atletico Madrid, who have reached the main draw six times in the past decade, having also played them in the league phase. "You look back to when we played Lyon, the close Valerenga game and Juventus in the last game of the league phase - the growth is incredible from our team." Even Chelsea, who were top seeds and qualified directly for the quarter-finals, had to play fellow last-eight qualifiers Barcelona and Wolfsburg in the league phase.

Source: BBC February 20, 2026 08:55 UTC