Bayern Munich are looking to defend their crown as the draw for the 2020-21 Champions League group stage takes place on Thursday at 11 a.m. ET and can be streamed on UEFA’s website.
The German side won the tournament as part of a Treble to cap off an emphatic campaign. It was the sixth time Bayern had been crowned champions of Europe and victory this season would see them join AC Milan in second place in the all-time standings.
Pot one is made up of the winners of the top seven leagues in UEFA coefficients — La Liga, English Premier League, Serie A, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, Russian Premier League, Portuguese Super Liga — and Europa League holders Sevilla.
It means Bayern cannot be drawn alongside last season’s beaten finalists Paris Saint-Germain, who are also in pot one.
Premier League champions Liverpool are also looking for a seventh crown, while Real Madrid, who won La Liga last term, are aiming to extend their record tally to 14.
Pot two includes Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Manchester City, Manchester United, Borussia Dortmund and Chelsea, though no two teams from the same country can be drawn together.
However, there could be a first-ever group-stage meeting between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi should Italian champions Juventus be drawn with Barca.
Among the danger sides in pot three are last season’s semifinalists RB Leipzig as well as beaten Europa League finalists Inter Milan, with Lazio and Atalanta also there.
Ligue 1 runners-up and winners of the inaugural Champions League in 1993 Marseille are in pot four.
The coronavirus pandemic halted last season’s tournament midway through the round of 16 and resulted in quarterfinals and semifinals being played out as single ties in Lisbon. However, this season, the format returns to normal with home and away clashes in the group and knockout stages.
Pot one
Bayern Munich, Germany
Sevilla, Spain
Real Madrid, Spain
Liverpool, England
Juventus, Italy
Paris Saint-Germain, France
Zenit St Petersburg, Russia
FC Porto, Portugal
Pot two
Barcelona, Spain
Atletico Madrid, Spain
Manchester City, England
Manchester United, England
Borussia Dortmund, Germany
Chelsea, England
Shakhtar Donetsk, Ukraine
Ajax, Netherlands
Pot three
Dynamo Kiev, Ukraine
FC Salzburg, Austria
RB Leipzig, Germany
Inter Milan, Italy
Olympiakos, Greece
Lazio, Italy
Krasnodar, Russia
Atalanta, Italy
Pot four
Lokomotiv Moscow, Russia
Marseille, France
Club Brugge, Belgium
Borussia Monchengladbach, Germany
Istanbul Basaksehir, Turkey
Midtjylland, Denmark
Rennes, France
Ferencvaros, Hungary