Liverpool will be banned from facing Real Madrid in next season’s Champions League group phase should both sides qualify for Europe’s premier club competition, reports express.co.uk.
This is because of a specific UEFA regulation, as the two clubs have been drawn against one another in two successive campaigns since the format changed. Arne Slot’s team beat Madrid 2-0 at Anfield in late November last season and will welcome the Spanish giants again this week.
It will mark the 13th occasion Liverpool have encountered Real Madrid in the tournament, with all but one of those clashes occurring in the past 16 years.
Nevertheless, only two of those fixtures have been played in the previous group stages format, with the other encounters happening in the knockout rounds of the competition, including three finals (1981, 2021 and 2022).
However, according to paragraph 16.03 of the UEFA Champions League regulations, the two sides will not face each other in next year’s league phase edition of the tournament.
The regulation states, “In accordance with paragraph 16.03 of the UEFA Champions League regulations, the UEFA Club Competitions Committee has determined an additional condition that may apply to the UEFA Champions League draw for the 2026/27 season, deciding that any individual fixture between the same two teams may not be repeated in the same competition with the same home team for three consecutive seasons.
“This means that if any teams that already played against each other in the league phase of the UEFA Champions League in the 2024/25 season are again drawn against each other, with the same home team, in the league phase of the UEFA Champions League in this 2025/26 season, those teams will not be able to be drawn against each other with the same home team in the 2026/27 season (although, for the sake of clarity, those teams could still be drawn against each other at the venue of the other team).”
Meanwhile, Arsenal will be eyeing a fourth-straight Champions League win when they face Slavia Prague on the road this evening.
The Gunners have made an ideal start to their European campaign with three victories in as many games.
They will go into today’s encounter against Slavia as favourites, but manager Mikel Arteta may not make wholesale changes.
David Raya is guaranteed to continue in goal. The Spaniard is an undisputed choice in the Premier League and Champions League games.
He has yet to concede in Europe this term and will be eyeing another shutout against the reigning Czech champions away from home.
William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes are assured starters in the heart of the defence, but there could be rotation in the full-back roles.
Myles Lewis-Skelly has started the last two European games at left-back ahead of Riccardo Calafiori. We should see something similar.
Ben White has had his fitness issues this campaign, which have contributed to his limited playing time.
The Englishman could start ahead of Jurrien Timber at right-back.
There will be an enforced change in the centre of the park with Martin Zubimendi suspended after accumulating three yellow cards in the competition this term.
Christian Nørgaard looks poised to start in the number six position. Declan Rice is an obvious starter in the number eight role. He was the man of the match against Burnley.
Eberechi Eze’s 72nd-minute substitution at Turf Moor last weekend suggests that he could get the nod over Ethan Nwaneri as the attacking midfielder again.
In the final third, there could be a solitary change. Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard should continue on the right and left wings, respectively, but Viktor Gyokeres may miss out.
The Sweden international was substituted at half-time versus Burnley with a possible muscle injury and will need to be assessed. Arteta may not take any risks with the marksman.
With a crucial Premier League trip to newly-promoted Sunderland on Saturday evening, Gyokeres could be given extra time to recover from the untimely setback.
Mikel Merino came on at the interval against Burnley as a makeshift striker. We anticipate the £31 million-rated star to start in the number nine position.
