Champions League 2021/22: calendar, schedules and groups
With PSG-Manchester City, Juventus-Chelsea, Atlético-Liverpool and Barcelona-Bayern respectively grouped together, there is a feast of Champions League football to look forward to over the coming months.
The Champions League 2021/22 campaign gets underway on Tuesday 14 September, with three marquee fixtures taking place on matchday 1: Barcelona host Bayern Munich, AC Milan travel to Liverpool and Real Madrid face Inter Milan at the revamped Santiago Bernabéu.
Given no unforeseen circumstances, Cristiano Ronaldo’s first Champions League game for Manchester United since the 2009 final defeat to Barcelona will be against Young Boys on Tuesday 14 September, while Lionel Messi is set to feature in his first European tie for PSG against Club Brugge.
Reigning champions Chelsea begin their title defence against Zenit at Stamford Bridge, while last year’s runners-up Manchester City face RB Leipzig. City have been drawn in Group A with PSG, with the pair meeting on matchday 2 on Tuesday 28 September. Matchday 2 also sees Atlético face AC Milan, and Juventus host Chelsea in the other standout fixtures.
After the enthralling last-16 tie between Atlético Madrid and Liverpool in February 2020, the two side’s meeting in matchday 3 on 19 October will be one of the most hotly-anticipated fixtures of the group stages. As in 2020, Atlético will host game one between the pair before traveling to Anfield two weeks later on for the second game on 3 November.
Away goals rule no longer applies
Once the group stage is concluded, the qualifying teams will head to a new-look knockout phase where the away goals rule has been scrapped for the first time since its introduction in 1965. The last-16 fixtures will be played between 15-23 February (first leg) and 8-16 March (second leg). Simple extra time and penalties will now settle ties level on aggregate after two legs, from the last-16 to semi-final stage. Away goals, of course, have never applied in the final, which remains a one-leg affair and will take place on 28 May at the Gazprom Arena in Saint Petersburg.
But before we cast our minds to Russia next May, there is a huge feast of great European nights to look forward to as always, and below you can find the groups, calendar and schedule for this season’s Champions League campaign.
Champions League 2021/22: Groups
Group A: Manchester City, PSG, RB Leipzig, Club Brugge
Group B: Atlético Madrid, Liverpool, FC Porto, AC Milan
Group C: Borussia Dortmund, Ajax, Besiktas, Sporting Lisbon
Group D: Real Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk, Inter Milan, Sheriff Tiraspol
Group E: Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Benfica, Dynamo Kyiv
Group F: Manchester United, Villarreal, Atalanta, Young Boys
Group G: Sevilla, Salzburg, Wolfsburg, Lille
Group H: Juventus, Chelsea, Zenit, Malmo
Champions League: Group fixtures schedule
Matchday 1
Tuesday 14 September
Group E: Barcelona vs Bayern, Dynamo Kyiv vs Benfica
Group F: Young Boys vs Man. United, Villarreal vs Atalanta
Group G: Sevilla vs Salzburg, LOSC vs Wolfsburg
Group H: Chelsea vs Zenit, Malmö vs Juventus
Wednesday 15 September
Group A: Man. City vs Leipzig, Club Brugge vs Paris
Group B: Atlético de Madrid vs Porto, Liverpool vs AC Milan
Group C: Beşiktaş vs Dortmund, Sporting CP vs Ajax
Group D: Sheriff vs Shakhtar Donetsk, Inter vs Real Madrid
Matchday 2
Tuesday 28 September
Group A: Paris vs Man. City, Leipzig vs Club Brugge
Group B: AC Milan vs Atlético de Madrid, Porto vs Liverpool
Group C: Ajax vs Beşiktaş, Dortmund vs Sporting CP
Group D: Shakhtar Donetsk vs Inter, Real Madrid vs Sheriff
Wednesday 29 September
Group E: Bayern vs Dynamo Kyiv, Benfica vs Barcelona
Group F: Atalanta vs Young Boys, Man. United vs Villarreal
Group G: Salzburg vs LOSC, Wolfsburg vs Sevilla
Group H: Zenit vs Malmö, Juventus vs Chelsea
Matchday 3
Tuesday 19 October
Group A: Club Brugge vs Man. City, Paris vs Leipzig
Group B: Atlético de Madrid vs Liverpool, Porto vs AC Milan
Group C: Beşiktaş vs Sporting CP, Ajax vs Dortmund
Group D: Shakhtar Donetsk vs Real Madrid, Inter vs Sheriff
Wednesday 20 October
Group E: Barcelona vs Dynamo Kyiv, Benfica vs Bayern
Group F: Young Boys vs Villarreal, Man. United vs Atalanta
Group G: Salzburg vs Wolfsburg, LOSC vs Sevilla
Group H: Chelsea vs Malmö, Zenit vs Juventus
Matchday 4
Tuesday 2 November
Group E: Dynamo Kyiv vs Barcelona, Bayern vs Benfica
Group F: Villarreal vs Young Boys, Atalanta vs Man. United
Group G: Wolfsburg vs Salzburg, Sevilla vs LOSC
Group H: Malmö vs Chelsea, Juventus vs Zenit
Wednesday 3 November
Group A: Man. City vs Club Brugge, Leipzig vs Paris
Group B: AC Milan vs Porto, Liverpool vs Atlético de Madrid
Group C: Sporting CP vs Beşiktaş, Dortmund vs Ajax
Group D: Real Madrid vs Shakhtar Donetsk, Sheriff vs Inter
Matchday 5
Tuesday 23 November
Group E: Dynamo Kyiv vs Bayern, Barcelona vs Benfica
Group F: Villarreal vs Man. United, Young Boys vs Atalanta
Group G: Sevilla vs Wolfsburg, LOSC vs Salzburg
Group H: Malmö vs Zenit, Chelsea vs Juventus
Wednesday 24 November
Group A: Man. City vs Paris, Club Brugge vs Leipzig
Group B: Atlético de Madrid vs AC Milan, Liverpool vs Porto
Group C: Beşiktaş vs Ajax, Sporting CP vs Dortmund
Group D: Inter vs Shakhtar Donetsk, Sheriff vs Real Madrid
Matchday 6
Tuesday 7 December
Group A: Paris vs Club Brugge, Leipzig vs Man. City (18:45 CET)
Group B: Porto vs Atlético de Madrid, AC Milan vs Liverpool
Group C: Dortmund vs Beşiktaş, Ajax vs Sporting CP
Group D: Real Madrid vs Inter, Shakhtar Donetsk vs Sheriff
Wednesday 8 December
Group E: Benfica vs Dynamo Kyiv, Bayern vs Barcelona
Group F: Man. United vs Young Boys, Atalanta vs Villarreal
Group G: Salzburg vs Sevilla, Wolfsburg vs LOSC
Group H: Juventus vs Malmö, Zenit vs Chelsea
Champions League: Knockout stage schedule
Round of 16 draw: 13 December
Round of 16 first legs: 15/16/22/23 February
Round of 16 second legs: 8/9/15/16 March
Quarter-final and semi-final draw: 18 March
Quarter-final first legs: 5/6 April
Quarter-final second legs: 12/13 April
Semi-final first legs: 26/27 April
Semi-final second legs: 3/4 May
Final: 28 May