Champions League: Osimhen, Lookman, Onyedika set for Nigerian clashes

August 28, 2026 12:20 am

Nigerian stars Victor Osimhen of Galatasaray, Ademola Lookman of Atletico Madrid and Raphael Onyedika of Stuttgart will be on a collision course in the league phase of the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League, with their teams drawn against one another in the race for places in the knockout phase, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

The league phase draw was conducted in Monaco on Thursday, producing several high-profile match-ups among Europe’s biggest clubs.

Osimhen, Lookman, Onyedika and FC Porto’s Zaidu Sanusi are the four Nigerian players featuring in this season’s competition, although Sanusi’s Porto were not drawn against any of the other Nigerians.

Lookman’s Atletico Madrid, who were in Pot 1, will host Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Fenerbahce and Viking, while they travel to Liverpool, PSV Eindhoven, Bodo/Glimt and Onyedika’s Stuttgart.

Porto, in Pot 2, will host Manchester City, PSV Eindhoven, Napoli and Slavia Prague, while their away fixtures are against Liverpool, Real Betis, Feyenoord and LASK.

Osimhen faces a demanding campaign with Galatasaray, who were placed in Pot 3. The Turkish champions will host Barcelona, Aston Villa, Feyenoord and Stuttgart, while travelling to face Paris Saint-Germain, Sporting CP, Lille and AEK Athens.

The Nigerian striker will therefore face Onyedika when Galatasaray travel to Stuttgart, while Onyedika will also come up against Lookman when Atletico visit Germany. The fixtures also pit Osimhen against Barcelona and PSG, two of the clubs he has been linked with recently, while he will also return to France to face his former club Lille.

For Stuttgart, the other fixtures are against Inter Milan away, Club Brugge at home, PSV Eindhoven away, Lille at home, Viking at home and Slovan Bratislava away.

Meanwhile, Arsenal will host 15-time European champions Real Madrid in the league phase, while Manchester City and Aston Villa will face defending champions Paris Saint-Germain.

Arsenal, who lost last season’s final to PSG on penalties, will also travel to Bayern Munich and face Borussia Dortmund, Real Betis, Lille, Napoli, Sabah and Slavia Prague.

Manchester City will welcome PSG to the Etihad Stadium and travel to Barcelona, where they will face former midfielder Rodri, who joined the Spanish club this summer.

City will also face Napoli, Sporting CP, Porto, RB Leipzig, AEK Athens and Lens.

Aston Villa, returning to the Champions League after a season away, will host PSG and Borussia Dortmund, while travelling to Barcelona and Galatasaray.

Unai Emery’s side will also face Club Brugge, Fenerbahce, Viking and Slavia Prague.

Manchester United, returning to the competition after a two-year absence, will face Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid, Roma, Sporting CP, RB Leipzig, Villarreal, Sabah and Como.

Liverpool will host Atletico Madrid, Porto, Villarreal and Lens, while travelling to Inter Milan, Club Brugge, Fenerbahce and LASK.

The league phase is scheduled to begin between September 8 and 10, 2026, with the final round of matches set for January 27, 2027. Each of the 36 teams will play eight different opponents, with four matches at home and four away.

The top eight teams will automatically qualify for the last 16, while those finishing ninth to 24th will compete in a two-legged knockout play-off for the remaining places.

Teams finishing 25th or lower will be eliminated from European competition, with no drop into the Europa League.

Last season, eventual runners-up Arsenal topped the league phase standings with 24 points after winning all eight of their matches.

The Champions League final will be played at the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid on June 5, 2027.

Abiodun Adewale

Abiodun, who reports Sports for PUNCH, covers different tiers of the Nigerian football league, the national teams, as well as cricket, in the last six years

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