Pots finalized for Champions League group stage draw
The four pots for Thursday’s Champions League group stage draw were confirmed after Rangers, FC Copenhagen, and Dinamo Zagreb advanced through Wednesday’s playoff matches to take the tournament’s final three spots.
That trio immediately dropped into Pot 4 – reserved for the supposedly weaker sides in Europe’s premier competition – and therefore face the heightened prospect of being drawn into the proverbial Group of Death.
Maccabi Haifa, Viktoria Plzen, and Dinamo Zagreb have already played six matches to reach this stage. Their respective qualification campaigns started July 19-20.
Thursday’s much-anticipated draw takes place in Istanbul at 12:00 ET. The first matchday is set for Sept. 6-7.
Pot 1
| Club | Country |
|---|---|
| Real Madrid | Spain |
| Eintracht Frankfurt | Germany |
| Manchester City | England |
| AC Milan | Italy |
| Bayern Munich | Germany |
| Paris Saint-Germain | France |
| FC Porto | Portugal |
| Ajax | Netherlands |
Pot 2
| Club | Country |
|---|---|
| Liverpool | England |
| Chelsea | England |
| Barcelona | Spain |
| Juventus | Italy |
| Atletico Madrid | Spain |
| Sevilla | Spain |
| RB Leipzig | Germany |
| Tottenham Hotspur | England |
Pot 3
| Club | Country |
|---|---|
| Borussia Dortmund | Germany |
| Red Bull Salzburg | Austria |
| Shakhtar Donetsk | Ukraine |
| Inter Milan | Italy |
| Napoli | Italy |
| Benfica | Portugal |
| Sporting CP | Portugal |
| Bayer Leverkusen | Germany |
Pot 4
| Club | Country |
|---|---|
| Rangers | Scotland |
| Dinamo Zagreb | Croatia |
| Marseille | France |
| FC Copenhagen | Denmark |
| Club Brugge | Belgium |
| Celtic | Scotland |
| Viktoria Plzen | Czech Republic |
| Maccabi Haifa | Israel |
