The Champions League fixture schedule has been confirmed following Thursday's glittering draw in Monaco. England's six representatives - Liverpool, Manchester City, Newcastle, Tottenham, Chelsea and Arsenal - discovered their exact dates and kick-off times for the new league-phase format.
The revamped competition features 36 clubs playing eight matches each against different opponents. The league phase begins on September 16 and concludes with a dramatic finale on January 28 when all clubs play simultaneously.
Tough starts for Chelsea and Newcastle
Chelsea face a daunting opening trip to Germany against Harry Kane's Bayern Munich on September 17. The London club later welcome Barcelona to Stamford Bridge on November 25 in one of the headline ties of the phase.
Newcastle return to Europe's top table with a blockbuster home opener against Barcelona on September 18. The Magpies will relish hosting the Spanish giants at St James' Park in what promises to be an electric atmosphere.
Travel challenges vary dramatically
According to City A.M analysis, Chelsea face the most gruelling travel schedule with nearly 10,000 miles across their away fixtures. The trip to Qarabag in Baku alone adds 5,000 miles to their European campaign.
Arsenal enjoy the easiest travel schedule at approximately 3,775 miles total for their four away fixtures. Newcastle and Tottenham both face relatively manageable travel of just over 4,000 miles each.
Heavyweight clashes across the board
Manchester City's defence of their crown includes a December showdown with Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu. Liverpool kick off at Anfield against Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid before hosting Madrid themselves in early November.
Arsenal's calendar features a mouth-watering clash away at last season's finalists Inter Milan on January 20. Tottenham's path includes a late-November trip to Paris Saint-Germain.
New qualification format
The top eight teams will progress directly to the last 16. Those finishing between ninth and 24th will enter a play-off round, while teams ranked 25th or lower face elimination from European competition.
All six English clubs face continental heavyweights before the end of the year, ensuring a challenging path through the expanded tournament format.
Sources used: "gbnews.com", "City A.M", "dailystar.co.uk", "mirror", "Manchester Evening", "Chronicle Live"
Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.