Champions League full schedule, all league phase matches: Chelsea vs. Bayern Munich headline Matchday 1

World champions Chelsea will kick off their Champions League campaign against Bayern Munich in the showcase opener for the competition's league phase, a week that will also see Kevin De Bruyne reunited with Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.Meanwhile holders Paris Saint-Germain begin their title defense against Atalanta in a rerun of the 2020 Champions League quarterfinals, while Liverpool, who will rank among the favorites to win the competition, kick off their eight games at home to Atletico Madrid.

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PSG's challenging league phase could conclude in dramatic fashion at the Parc des Princes, the Qatar-owned club facing off against Newcastle United, whose backing comes from Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund. The final round of fixtures will see all 36 teams playing at the same time with matches such as Borussia Dortmund vs. Inter, Napoli vs. Chelsea and Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Tottenham having the look of significant games in the battle for qualification.

Before those games on January 28 there will be a host of big matches and high-stakes reunions. Trent Alexander-Arnold's return to Anfield as a Real Madrid player is set for November 4 while Xabi Alonso's side are also scheduled to travel to Kazakhstan to face Kairat Almaty on September 30, only two days after their game away to Atletico Madrid. That match could now be rescheduled.Arguably the game of the league phase, PSG's trip to Barcelona, will take place on October 1. That is part of what could be a challenging start to the league phase for Hansi Flick's side, who also have their away games to Newcastle United and Chelsea in their first five matches.

The top 24 teams from the 36 strong league phase will qualify for the knockout phases of the competition. Those who finish between first and eighth will be guaranteed a spot in the Champions League last 16 with the remaining teams playing off to join them.

Ranking best games of Champions League league phase: Barca vs. PSG at the top; Liverpool vs. Real a huge one