Paris Saint-Germain face a difficult start to their Champions League title defense after Thursday's 36-team league phase draw in Monaco. The French champions were paired with Luis Enrique's former club Barcelona, plus trips to 2023 winners Manchester City and Europa League holders Aston Villa. PSG have won three straight visits to Barcelona since the infamous 2017 "Remontada" loss.

Arsenal, last year's beaten finalists, drew record 15-time winners Real Madrid alongside German powerhouses Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. Manchester United, returning after a two-year absence, face a rematch of their 1999 final triumph against Bayern. New Real Madrid coach José Mourinho will meet Inter Milan, the club he led to glory in 2010.

Four debutantes feature: Italy's Como (coached by Cesc Fàbregas), Austria's LASK, Norway's Viking, and Azerbaijan's Sabah (founded 2017). Teams will play eight games — four home, four away — from September through January. The top eight advance directly to the March round of 16, while places 9-24 enter February playoffs. The 36 clubs share approximately €2.5 billion ($2.9 billion) in prize money.