Liverpool, Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Arsenal are among the 36 teams in Thursday's league phase draw for the 2026-27 Champions League. All four are in pot one as Uefa's nine best-rated clubs. A new Uefa rule limits a fixture possibility affecting these clubs.

The league phase, introduced in 2024-25, has each team play eight matches against eight different opponents, two from each pot, with one home and one away game per pot. Starting this year, a team cannot host a side they faced at home in the league phase in each of the previous two seasons.

Only two fixtures meet this criteria: Liverpool vs Real Madrid and Inter Milan vs Arsenal. Liverpool hosted Real Madrid at Anfield in the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons, winning 2-0 and 1-0. Inter hosted Arsenal, winning 1-0 two seasons ago but losing 3-1 last term.

The rule, per last season's regulations and an additional condition, prevents the same home team for three consecutive seasons. Thursday's draw will confirm fixtures, with Uefa ensuring Liverpool and Inter would not host those matches if drawn. The rule does not ban three-year matchups, only the same home/away status.