Highlights of the Champions League stage: Imperial City CP is entangled, China Xinjiang is close to the Arctic Circle for the first time

The draw for the 2025-26 Champions League season has ended. From traditional giants to Champions League upstarts, from small Arctic Circle cities to Central Asian grassland cities, the Champions League match list this season is full of highlights.

1. In the UEFA Champions League stage, Real Madrid will play against Manchester City at home. According to statistics, this is the five consecutive seasons between the two teams in the Champions League. They have faced each other 8 times in the past four years, setting the record for the most duels in the same period in the Champions League. Including the 2019-20 season, in the past seven years, Real Madrid and Manchester City have met six times in the Champions League.

2019-20 season, UEFA Champions League 8 finals

2021-22 season, UEFA Champions League semi-finals

2022-23 season, UEFA Champions League semi-finals

2023-24 season, UEFA Champions League quarter-finals

2024-25 season, UEFA Champions League knockout playoffs

2025-26 season, UEFA Champions League stage

2. "King of London" fights London's two heroes

Bayern was once known as the "King of London". In this season's Champions League stage, the Southern Star will compete with the London two heroes, playing against Chelsea at home and challenging Arsenal away.

3. "Fighting the Old Master" drama

In the Champions League, the most common drama is "Fighting the Old Master". During the Champions League this season, Manchester City will face Naples, coached by Conte at home, and De Bruyne returns to the Etihad Stadium. Liverpool will play against Real Madrid at home, and Arnold will return to Anfield. Defending champion Paris Saint-Germain went to challenge Barcelona away, and coach Enrique and number one star Dembele returned to Camp Nou.

4. Chinese Xinjiang fans can take a bus to watch the game Real Madrid

Kazakhstan team Almaty Keilat broke through the siege in the Champions League qualifiers, advanced to the Champions League for the first time in the history of the team, and drew La Liga giant Real Madrid in the Champions League stage, and will face the Galaxy battleship at home.

It is reported that the straight-line distance between Almaty Keilat's home court and the Bernabeu is 6,411 kilometers, which will be the furthest stadium in Real Madrid's history in the Champions League, and it will require a turnaround in the middle. It is worth mentioning that currently 8 cities in China have launched direct flights to and from Almaty. Almaty is only 200 kilometers away from the Chinese border. It takes about 2 hours to fly directly from Urumqi, Xinjiang, China. It takes about 10 hours to get from Yining to Almaty, and the ticket price is about 300 yuan. Moreover, Kazakhstan is visa-free to Chinese citizens.

5. The first time in the Champions League to the Arctic Circle

This season, Norwegian team Bode shines and creates history and advances to the Champions League for the first time. At the same time, they became the northernmost participating team in Champions League history, which is also the first time that they have entered the Arctic Circle in the Champions League.

Bodd Shining is located in the Arctic Circle. The temperature is usually below zero in winter, and the highest temperature in summer is generally less than 20 degrees. The main yard is paved with artificial turf. It is reported that Bode Shine is one of the only two top league teams in Europe that are geographically located in the Arctic Circle, and the other team is Tromso, Norway. Tromso is even more north than Bode's shining, but their current competitiveness is not enough.

In the Champions League phase, Manchester City, Juventus, Tottenham and Monaco will go to Bode's shining home game.