PSG To Start Champions League Title Defense Against Barcelona, Man City

Two-time defending champion Paris Saint-Germain will host Manchester City and travel to Barcelona in the Champions League main phase this season, after the 36-team draw was made Thursday.

PSG has won three straight visits to Barcelona — including a 2-1 win in the league phase last October — since imploding in the famous 6-1 loss in March 2017 that is known as the "Remontada" game.

The French champion again plays Aston Villa , after a Super Cup win this month, and goes to Champions League newcomer Como, coached by Cesc Fabregas, in an eight-game slate that starts in two weeks' time.

Real Madrid will host Inter Milan and make two trips to London, at Arsenal and against Shakhtar Donetsk.

Ukraine’s champion is playing home games at Stamford Bridge, where Madrid's returning coach José Mourinho was beloved by Chelsea fans in a pair of title-winning spells there.

Barcelona will host two English clubs — Man City and Europa League winner Villa — plus its former player Fabregas with Como.

A long trip to Azerbaijan awaits to face debutant Sabah in Baku.

Arsenal, the beaten finalist last year, will host Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Sabah, and travel to Bayern Munich .

Bayern got a second English opponent, with a trip to Manchester United , plus two Norwegian opponents, hosting Bodø/Glimt and visiting Viking.

Bayern also will go to Atletico Madrid whose Metropolitano Stadium will host the final next May.

Liverpool got trips to Inter Milan and Fenerbahce in what looked one of the more favorable slates of eight games.

Atletico will again come to Anfield where Liverpool won 3-2 last September.

Atletico also will play both Norwegian teams and is one of four teams heading inside the Arctic Circle to play on Bodø/Glimt ’s artificial turf.

Dortmund, Lille and newcomer LASK also will travel to the remote fishing town, and one team must make the trip in January.