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Liverpool travel to AC Milan – the Reds’ opponents in the 2005 and 2007 finals – on 17 September, while Arsenal kick off their campaign with a trip to Atalanta on 19 September.

Aston Villa, back in the competition for the first time since 1982-83, travel to Swiss side Young Boys on 17 September.

Scottish Premiership champions Celtic host Slovan Bratislava in their opener on 18 September before taking on beaten 2024 finalists Borussia Dortmund away from home on 1 October.

Arsenal host Paris St-Germain in the Gunners’ second game of the new ‘league phase’ that same day, with Villa taking on Bayern Munich at Villa Park on 2 October.

Arne Slot’s Liverpool welcome German champions Bayer Leverkusen and La Liga title-winners Real Madrid to Anfield on 5 and 27 November respectively, while the Gunners travel to Inter on 6 November.

City visit PSG on their penultimate league fixture on 22 January, with Villa hosting Scottish Premiership champions Celtic on Matchday 8.

All teams’ final league phase games will kick-off simultaneously, at 20:00 on Wednesday 29 January.

In a radical change from the previous Champions League format, each team plays eight fixtures in the new league phase of the competition.

The draw for the league phase took place in Monaco on Thursday, but the dates and times of the fixtures were only confirmed on Saturday.