Champions League 2024/25: Liverpool’s Pot, Potential Opponents and How the Draw Works
The return of the UEFA Champions League, the world’s most prestigious club competition, is just around the corner as Liverpool gear up for their comeback after a year-long absence. However, this season will introduce some changes.
Liverpool are set to rejoin UEFA Champions League action for the first time since their 2022-23 campaign. The Reds will step onto the stage in next month’s first round of fixtures.
Last season, Liverpool found themselves in the Europa League after missing out on a top-four finish in the Premier League two seasons ago. However, their third-place finish in the 2023-24 season means Anfield will once again be hosting Champions League football.
This time, though, there will be a twist. Instead of the usual 32-team group stage, the Reds will compete in a new 36-team league phase. In this format, each team will play eight games against different opponents, but all within a single group.
With the final qualifying rounds concluding this week, it’s the perfect time to explore who Liverpool might face in this season’s Champions League. Newsnow Liverpool has all the details you need to know.
Time and Date for the Champions League Draw
The league phase draw for the 2024-25 Champions League is scheduled for Thursday, August 29, 2024, at 5pm BST (12pm ET) at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco.
How to Watch
You can watch the draw for free through a livestream on UEFA’s website on the day it occurs.
Additionally, you can keep up with all the latest news and reactions to the draw on Newsnow Liverpool.
How the Draw Works
The 36 teams will be divided into four pots of nine, according to their 2023 UEFA association coefficients, which reflect their performance in European competitions from 2018-19 to 2022-23.
Each team will be paired with two teams from each pot, but they will only face one team from each pot at home and one team from each group away, resulting in four home games and four away games.
Once all 36 teams have played their eight matches, the top eight in the standings will proceed to the round of 16. Teams that finish between 9th and 24th will compete in a two-legged knockout play-off, with the winners moving on to the round of 16.
The bottom 12 teams, those ranked 25th or lower, will be completely eliminated from all European competitions and will not qualify for the UEFA Europa League.
Liverpool’s Pot
Due to its strong performance in European competitions from the 2018–19 to 2022–23 seasons, including a Champions League win in 2019, Liverpool have secured a place in Pot 1 for the league phase draw.
Joining Liverpool in Pot 1 are Real Madrid (SPA), the reigning Champions League winners, along with Manchester City (ENG), Bayern Munich (GER), Paris Saint-Germain (FRA), Inter Milan (ITA), Borussia Dortmund (GER), RB Leipzig (GER), and Barcelona (SPA).
Pot 2 features teams such as Bayer Leverkusen (GER), Atlético Madrid (SPA), Atalanta (ITA), Juventus (ITA), Benfica (POR), Arsenal (ENG), Club Brugge (BEL), Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR), and Milan (ITA).
In Pot 3, Feyenoord (NED), Sporting CP (POR), PSV Eindhoven (NED), Celtic (SCO), and five more teams yet to be determined will be included.
Pot 4 consists of Monaco (FRA), Aston Villa (ENG), Bologna (ITA), Girona (SPA), Stuttgart (GER), Sturm Graz (AUS), Brest (FRA), and two additional teams yet to be announced.
Liverpool’s Potential Opponents
In the updated format, Liverpool will be grouped with two teams from each of the four pots, including their own.
However, clubs from the same country cannot face each other during the league phase, and you can only be matched against two teams from the same nation.
This means that Liverpool could be drawn against two of the following teams in the league phase from Pot 1: Real Madrid (Spain), Bayern Munich (Germany), Paris Saint-Germain (France), Inter Milan (Italy), Borussia Dortmund (Germany), RB Leipzig (Germany), or Barcelona (Spain). However, they cannot face Manchester City (England), for instance.
When are the League Phase Ties?
Matchday 1: 17–19 September 2024
Matchday 2: 1/2 October 2024
Matchday 3: 22/23 October 2024
Matchday 4: 5/6 November 2024
Matchday 5: 26/27 November 2024
Matchday 6: 10/11 December 2024
Matchday 7: 21/22 January 2025
Matchday 8: 29 January 2025
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