Manchester City will reunite with Kevin De Bruyne in their opening match of this season’s UEFA Champions League, as the English champions have been drawn to face the Belgian’s new club, Napoli, at home.
City will host the Italian champions at the Etihad Stadium on Thursday, September 18, marking the start of the group stage in the 2025/2026 Champions League season. The first matchday will take place over three days, with several high-profile encounters scheduled across Europe.
De Bruyne, who joined Napoli in June after a glittering decade at Manchester City, will return to face his former team for the first time since his departure. His time at City was legendary, highlighted by winning the 2023 Champions League under Pep Guardiola, a triumph that solidified his place among the best midfielders in the world.
Pep Guardiola expressed his joy at the reunion, saying, “I’m really pleased Kevin will come back here, and of course, we have to beat teams like Napoli and Galatasaray. It’s nice to welcome him back. I’m sure the fans will give him and his new team a great reception, they deserve it.”
Other Notable Champions League Fixtures
The UEFA draw for the 36-team league phase was held on Thursday, with the full fixture list released by European football’s governing body on Saturday.
In other key fixtures, Chelsea, the Club World Cup winners, will face Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday, September 17 — a venue where they famously defeated the German side in the 2012 Champions League final.
Premier League champions Liverpool will host Atlético Madrid the same night, while Newcastle United, marking their return to the Champions League, will welcome Spanish champions Barcelona to St James’ Park on Thursday.
Arsenal, who reached the semi-finals last season, will play away to Athletic Bilbao on Tuesday, September 16, while Tottenham Hotspur, who secured Champions League qualification through their Europa League win, will host Villarreal.
Reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain will start their campaign at home against Atalanta in Paris, while other notable fixtures include Juventus versus Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid welcoming Marseille, and Ajax taking on Inter Milan.
Opening Champions League Fixtures
Tuesday, September 16
- Athletic Bilbao (ESP) v Arsenal (ENG) (1645 GMT)
- PSV Eindhoven (NED) v Union Saint-Gilloise (BEL) (1645 GMT)
- Juventus (ITA) v Borussia Dortmund (GER)
- Real Madrid (ESP) v Marseille (FRA)
- Ajax (NED) v Inter Milan (ITA)
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