Track Tickets
Manchester United are back in the Champions League and have drawn a schedule with a distinctly southern European flavour. Bayern Munich visit Old Trafford, and there are trips to Madrid, Lisbon and two Italian grounds to negotiate.
It is a draw without an obvious free pass beyond one fixture, but also without the sheer weight of names that Aston Villa and Arsenal received. United will feel this is a schedule they can work with.
Manchester United's league phase opponents
| Fixture | Opponent | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Home | Bayern Munich | Old Trafford, Manchester |
| Home | AS Roma | Old Trafford, Manchester |
| Home | RB Leipzig | Old Trafford, Manchester |
| Home | Sabah FK | Old Trafford, Manchester |
| Away | Atletico Madrid | Riyadh Air Metropolitano, Madrid |
| Away | Sporting Lisbon | Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon |
| Away | Villarreal | Estadio de la Cerámica, Villarreal |
| Away | Como | Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia, Como |
The home draw: Bayern headline Old Trafford
Bayern Munich at Old Trafford is one of the great European fixtures and carries more history than almost any other tie in this draw. The six-time champions remain a benchmark side, but United will take some comfort from having them at home rather than at the Allianz Arena, where the record of visiting English clubs is poor.
AS Roma bring the classic Italian away performance: patient, physical and difficult to break down, with a support that travels in numbers. RB Leipzig are the opposite in style, a high-pressing German side who play at pace and leave space behind, which is the sort of game United can turn into an open contest at Old Trafford.
Sabah FK are the one fixture on the schedule United should win comfortably. The Azerbaijani side came through the qualifying rounds and this will be the biggest night in their short history.
The away draw: Madrid is the hardest trip
Atletico Madrid away is the toughest fixture United face. Diego Simeone's side are relentlessly organised at the Metropolitano and specialise in strangling matches, and the atmosphere on a European night there is among the best in Spain. Any point taken from this game is a good one.
Sporting Lisbon away is a serious test too. The Portuguese side reached the last eight of this competition last season, and the Estadio Jose Alvalade is a difficult, noisy ground where they have beaten several bigger clubs in recent campaigns.
Villarreal are quietly one of the most awkward opponents in the draw. The 2021 Europa League winners reached the semi-finals of this competition in 2022 and have a long record of eliminating English clubs on the way. Como away is the fixture that stands out for different reasons: the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia is one of the smallest and most picturesque grounds ever to stage a Champions League match, and its lakeside setting will make it a popular destination for travelling supporters.
The verdict on United's draw
This is a manageable draw by the standards of what the other English clubs received. Bayern aside, United have avoided every one of the very top names: no Paris Saint-Germain, no Real Madrid, no Barcelona. Atletico away is the fixture most likely to cost them, and Sporting away is the second.
The flip side is depth. There are no gimmes here beyond Sabah, and Roma, Leipzig, Villarreal and Sporting are all capable of taking points off United on their day. With the top eight qualifying directly for the round of 16 and ninth to 24th dropping into a two-legged play-off, United's target should be the top eight, and this schedule gives them a real chance of it.
Manchester United Champions League tickets
Old Trafford under the lights for Bayern Munich, AS Roma and RB Leipzig will be among the most in-demand fixtures of the season. Browse the available matches, choose your section of the ground and book your Manchester United tickets in advance. The season ends with the Champions League final at the Estadio Metropolitano in Madrid.
Frequently asked questions
Who do Manchester United play in the Champions League league phase?
United host Bayern Munich, AS Roma, RB Leipzig and Sabah FK at Old Trafford, and travel to Atletico Madrid, Sporting Lisbon, Villarreal and Como.
How many Champions League matches do Manchester United play?
Eight in the league phase, four at home and four away, against eight different opponents. The top eight in the single league table qualify directly for the round of 16.
Which is Manchester United's biggest home fixture?
Bayern Munich at Old Trafford, a tie with more European history behind it than any other on United's schedule.
