Liverpool vs Real Madrid and Inter Milan vs Arsenal will not be allowed in this season’s Champions League league phase due a little-known new rule introduced by UEFA.
The draw for the competition takes place tomorrow, with each team to face two sides from Pot 1, Pot 2, Pot 3 and Pot 4.
Liverpool, Real, Inter and Arsenal are all in Pot 1, and therefore in principle the Reds could be drawn against the Spanish giants at Anfield, and Inter could host the Gunners at the San Siro.
However, UEFA rules prevent this from happening because of recent history.
Liverpool have faced Real at home in the past two seasons, while Inter have also entertained Arsenal twice in the league phase over the same timeframe.
And, the European governing body have now brought in a ruling that is based around stopping the same fixture happening three years in a row.
Liverpool won’t be able to draw Real Madrid at home in this season’s Champions League league phase after UEFA introduced a new rule
The rule also applies to Inter Milan hosting Arsenal after the fixture took place in the last two years
A section of the Champions League regulations says: ‘UEFA administration may determine alternative conditions for the draw in accordance with the principles set by the Club Competitions Committee and may adapt any of the conditions of the draw to avoid deadlock situations and/or take into account any relevant constraints in light of decisions taken by the UEFA Executive Committee.’
They added: ‘The UEFA Club Competitions Committee has determined an additional condition that may be applicable to the UEFA Champions League draw for the 2026-27 season, deciding that any individual fixture between the same two teams may not be repeated in the same competition with the same home team for three consecutive seasons.
‘This means that if any teams that already played against each other in the league phase of the UEFA Champions League in the 2024-25 season are again drawn against each other, with the same home team, in the league phase of the UEFA Champions League in this 2025-26 season, those teams will not be able to be drawn against each other with the same home team in the 2026-27 season.’
This does mean that the teams can be drawn against each other, but this would have to be with the match between Liverpool and Real at the Bernabeu, and at the Emirates for Inter vs Arsenal.
A fixture between Real and Liverpool would have plenty of spice due to their recent history, coupled with the fact that former Liverpool stars Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ibrahima Konate now play for the Spanish giants.
Both teams endured a disappointing time in Europe last season as they exited at the quarter-final stage.
Liverpool were beaten 4-0 on aggregate by eventual winners PSG, while Real lost 6-4 to Bayern Munich over two legs.
Meanwhile, Inter were shocked by Bodo/Glimt at the play-off stage, while Arsenal lost the final to PSG on penalties.
