The UEFA Champions League draw takes place on Thursday evening in Monaco, in the first edition of the tournament in its new and expanded format.
UEFA have brought change to their premier competition with an increase to 36 teams for 2024/25, in a move designed to bring more match-ups between Europe’s elite.
Each team will play eight games in the new league phase, facing two opponents, one home and one away, from each of the four pots. Teams cannot play opponents from the same nation in in the league phase and can only face a maximum of two teams from one nation.
Are the Premier League teams seeded for the Champions League draw?
Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool and Aston Villa are the Premier League representatives for the coming campaign.
Pep Guardiola’s team were crowned European champions for the first time in 2022/23, though saw their defence ended by eventual winners Real Madrid last time out. The Citizens have been seeded in Pot One, having reached at least the quarter-finals in each of the last seven seasons.
Liverpool, who return to the Champions League after a one-season absence, join City in Pot One. The Reds have reached three finals in the last seven years.
🆕 League phase line-up!#UCLdraw | #UCL pic.twitter.com/yFs5uipkfQ
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) August 28, 2024
Arsenal returned to the Champions League after a six-year absence last term and reached the quarter-finals before an aggregate defeat to Bayern Munich. The Gunners have been placed in Pot Two and will face two seeded teams in the new format.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa compete in the tournament for the first time since defending the trophy as European champions in 1982/83. Unai Emery’s team are in Pot Four and could face a challenging league phase.
What are the pots for the Champions League draw?
Pot One: Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool, Inter Milan, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, Barcelona.
Pot Two: Bayer Leverkusen, Atletico Madrid, Atalanta, Juventus, Benfica, Arsenal, Club Brugge, Shakhtar Donetsk, AC Milan.
Pot Three: Feyenoord, Sporting Lisbon, PSV Eindhoven, Celtic, Dinamo Zagreb, Red Bull Salzburg, Lille, Red Star Belgrade, Young Boys.
Pot Four: AS Monaco, Aston Villa, Bologna, Girona, Stuttgart, Sturm Graz, Brest, Slovan Bratislava, Sparta Prague.
