The pots for this week’s UEFA Champions League group stage draw are now set with the German Bundesliga the most represented competition with five teams.
The Champions League draw is set to take place on Thursday (today) the 25th of August 2022 in Istanbul, Turkey.
UEFA Europa League winners Eintracht Frankfurt are in Pot One along with German giants Bayern Munich while RB Leipzig are in Pot Two and Borussia Dortmund as well as Bayer Leverkusen occupy Pot Three.
England’s Premier League are one of three competitions boasting a quartet of sides with Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Tottenham Hotspur with Serie A represented by both Milan clubs, SSC Napoli and Juventus to La Liga’s Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, and Sevilla.
Last year’s semi-finalists still crave a first success in Europe’s elite club competition, with their best effort a final defeat in 2021. Pep Guardiola’s side will be among the favourites once more with the final in Istanbul – the scene of Liverpool’s iconic victory 17 years ago.
The Reds, along with Chelsea and Tottenham, all find themselves in pot 2. Liverpool last won the competition in 2019 whilst the Blues and Thomas Tuchel were crowned champions of Europe two years later. A late run last term saw Tottenham return to the Champions League.
Holders Real Madrid, French champions PSG and Bundesliga winners Bayern Munich are all in pot 1 alongside AC Milan, Porto and Ajax. Europa League champions Frankfurt will also be in pot 1. The three English sides will be joined in pot 2 by three LaLiga outfits with Barcelona, who have undergone a heavy recruitment drive, among them. Atletico Madrid and Sevilla are the other sides in the pot as well as RB Leizpig and Juventus.
Borussia Dortmund and Inter Milan are among the most challenging sides in pot 3, with the Premier League side’s keen to avoid the two former champions. Napoli, Benfica and Sporting Lisbon are also possible opponents as are Red Bull Salzburg, Bayer Leverkusen and Shakhtar Donetsk.
Champions League pots
Pot 1
Real Madrid
Man City
Bayern Munich
AC Milan
Ajax
Frankfurt
Porto
PSG
Pot 2
Tottenham
Liverpool
Chelsea
Barcelona
Atletico Madrid
Sevilla
Juventus
RB Leipzig
Pot 3
Inter Milan
Napoli
Benfica
Sporting Lisbon
Bayer Leverkusen
Borussia Dortmund
Red Bull Salzburg
Shakhtar Donetsk
Pot 4
Marseille
Club Brugge
Celtic
Rangers
Maccabi Haifa
When will the games happen?
The group games are set to take place before the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar.
Matchday 1: 6/7 September
Matchday 2: 13/14 September
Matchday 3: 4/5 October
Matchday 4: 11/12 October
Matchday 5: 25/26 October
Matchday 6: 1/2 November
Round of 16 draw: 7 November
