Aston Villa will travel to Barcelona in the Champions League league phase after the draw paired Unai Emery’s side with the Spanish club. Barcelona will host Villa as one of four home fixtures in their eight-match league-phase schedule.
Villa have been handed a demanding draw, according to ESPN. They will host two-time defending champions Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund, travel to Club Brugge and Galatasaray, host Fenerbahce and Viking, and face Slavia Prague away.
Villa enter the competition as Europa League champions after beating SC Freiburg 3-0 in the final in May. The club have also had a summer of significant departures, with Morgan Rogers, Ezri Konsa and Youri Tielemans leaving.
Barcelona’s league-phase opponents
Barcelona’s full league-phase draw includes eight opponents, with four matches at home and four away. In addition to hosting Aston Villa, Barcelona will host Manchester City, Feyenoord and Como.
Their away fixtures are against Paris Saint-Germain, Sporting Lisbon, Galatasaray and Sabah. The draw therefore sets up meetings with both Villa and Manchester City, while Barcelona will travel to PSG.
The league phase begins on September 8, 2026, and the final round is scheduled for January 27, 2027. Each of the 36 teams plays eight matches against eight different opponents, with four at home and four away.
For Villa, the trip to Barcelona is part of a schedule featuring opponents from across Europe, including home games against PSG, Dortmund, Fenerbahce and Viking. Barcelona, meanwhile, will welcome Villa alongside City, Feyenoord and Como in the league phase.