If Bayern Munich are to progress directly into the last 16 of this season’s Champions League, they’ll need to overcome some daunting opposition.
The draw for the league phase has been made, and the six-time European champions will be up against a few familiar foes, with reruns of two previous finals for the Bavarian giants.
Fans will be indulging in plenty of in-play betting throughout their team’s continental endeavours, but how are Vincent Kompany’s side likely to fare out in their eight matches in the opening stage of the competition?
Bayern Munich’s Champions League fixtures
Chelsea (H), 17 September
How many subplots do you want from Bayern’s first Champions League fixture of 2025/26? It’s a rerun of the 2012 final and pits Nicolas Jackson’s loan side against his parent team.
Still revelling in their Club World Cup success over the summer, Chelsea have made a promising start to the new Premier League campaign, and are sure to represent a tough test for Vincent Kompany’s side.
Pafos (A), 30 September
Bayern’s first away match in the 2025/26 Champions League hands them a rare trip to Cyprus to take on Pafos, who’ve already come through three qualifying rounds to earn a seat at Europe’s top table.
The Bundesliga giants will fully expect to claim all three points against the tournament debutants, who now boast David Luiz and Mislav Orsic among their ranks.
Club Brugge (H), 22 October
Bayern will expect to get the better of the Belgian side, who’ve become Champions League regulars in recent years and trounced Rangers 9-1 on aggregate in the play-off round.
This game is likely to pose a tough test for Kompany’s side, but they should have enough to emerge victorious.
PSG (A), 4 November
Bayern defeated PSG five years ago in their most recent Champions League final success, but now it’s the Ligue 1 side who hold the honour of being kings of Europe, and a visit to the Parc des Princes will be one of the most eagerly awaited fixtures in the league phase.
Mark your calendars for this one – it has the makings of a classic!
Arsenal (A), 26 November
Bayern visit the Emirates Stadium for the second time in just over 18 months when they take on Arsenal a month before Christmas in yet another glamour tie for Kompany’s team.
The Gunners have proven capable of felling elite opposition in this tournament, famously thrashing Real Madrid last season, but their trophy-winning credentials remain in question after losing to Liverpool in the Premier League at the weekend.
Sporting Lisbon (H), 9 December
Bayern recorded the biggest-ever winning margin in a Champions League knockout tie (12-1) against the Portuguese side in 2009, but Sporting have become a much tougher proposition since then.
Despite losing Viktor Gyokeres and Conrad Harder during the summer transfer window, the Lisbon club still boast quality throughout their line-up, most notably in the form of dazzling youngster Geovany Quenda.
Union Saint-Gilloise (H), 21 January
Kompany will face a second club from his native Belgium in the form of Union Saint-Gilloise, for whom this is a first Champions League campaign after memorably ending their 90-year wait for a top-flight title last season.
By this stage of the competition, Bayern will hope to have their knockout round place comfortably secured and be preoccupied solely with securing a top-eight finish.
PSV Eindhoven (A), 28 January
Bayern’s final match in the league phase sees them make the relatively short trip to the Netherlands to face Eredivisie champions PSV.
It could be a make-or-break clash for the Bundesliga giants, but they’ll be hoping that qualification for the last 16 will have been secured and Kompany will have the luxury of rotating his starting XI.
