Atlético Madrid draw Bayern and Manchester United at home as Liverpool awaits at Anfield

Atlético Madrid have been handed a Champions League league-phase draw that gives them two major home nights against Bayern Munich and Manchester United, while Liverpool provide the standout away test at Anfield.

The Spanish club learned their eight opponents following Thursday’s draw, with Fenerbahçe and Viking joining Bayern and United as visitors to the Riyadh Air Metropolitano.

Atlético’s away schedule will take them to Liverpool, PSV Eindhoven, Bodø/Glimt and Stuttgart.

Home — Riyadh Air Metropolitano

- Bayern Munich - Manchester United - Fenerbahçe - Viking

Away

- Liverpool - PSV Eindhoven - Bodø/Glimt - Stuttgart

The Pot 1 allocation gives Atlético one of the clearest home-away contrasts in the draw.

Bayern will travel to Madrid, where Atlético can use the intensity of the Metropolitano against one of Europe’s strongest sides. The corresponding away fixture sends them to Anfield, a venue that immediately becomes the most demanding road assignment of the league phase.

Manchester United add another heavyweight home fixture.

That gives Atlético two high-profile opportunities in front of their own supporters, while Fenerbahçe bring another opponent accustomed to high-pressure European environments. Viking complete the home allocation.

The away programme is less glamorous but still carries considerable risk.

PSV offer a technically strong test in Eindhoven, Stuttgart add another Bundesliga opponent away from home, and Bodø/Glimt provide one of the least familiar but potentially awkward trips in the competition.

For Atlético, that distribution makes the Metropolitano particularly important.

If they can turn home advantage into a strong points return against Bayern, United, Fenerbahçe and Viking, the pressure on their away schedule becomes significantly more manageable. Dropped points in Madrid, however, would increase the importance of difficult trips to Liverpool and PSV.

There is also a unique backdrop to Atlético’s European campaign this season.

The 2026/27 Champions League final will be played at the Metropolitano on June 5, 2027, giving Diego Simeone’s side the unusual possibility of pursuing a final staged in their own stadium.

That does not alter the difficulty of the league phase, but it adds an obvious emotional dimension to a competition that already carries particular significance for the club.

Under the 36-team format, the top eight sides qualify directly for the round of 16, while teams finishing from ninth to 24th enter the knockout play-offs. UEFA will confirm the precise dates and kick-off times of Atlético’s eight fixtures separately.

The headline fixtures are easy to identify: Bayern and Manchester United in Madrid, Liverpool at Anfield.

The deeper story of Atlético’s draw is whether they can turn their home schedule into a platform strong enough to absorb the harder moments on the road — and keep alive the possibility of returning to the Metropolitano for one final Champions League night in June.