Liverpool are back in the Champions League this season as part of the new-look tournament. Here’s all you need to know ahead of Thursday’s league phase draw.
After a season in the Europa League the Reds are back in Europe’s top tier, but it is not the same as when they last played in it.
This campaign will bring the first of an expanded 36-team Champions League, including a ‘Swiss style’ league phase replacing the usual group stage.
That means all 36 teams in one league phase, with each playing eight fixtures, before breaking off for a more traditional knockout stage.
Here is everything you need to know about the Champions League‘s league phase draw.
When is the draw?
The Champions League draw will take place in Monaco from 5pm (BST) on Thursday and will be broadcast live on UEFA.com, as well as YouTube, TNT Sports and BBC Sport.
Who could Liverpool play?
Liverpool are in Pot 1 and will be drawn against two teams from each of the following pots:
Pot 1: Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Milan, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, Barcelona
Pot 2: Bayer Leverkusen, Atletico Madrid, Atalanta, Juventus, Benfica, Club Brugge, Shakhtar Donetsk, AC Milan
Pot 3: Feyenoord, Sporting CP, PSV Eindhoven, Red Bull Salzburg, Young Boys, Celtic, Dinamo Zagreb, Lille, Red Star Belgrade
Pot 4: Monaco, Sparta Prague, Bologna, Girona, Stuttgart, Sturm Graz, Brest, Slovan Bratislava
Four opponents will be played at home and four away, with no repeat fixtures.
They cannot play teams from their own association in the league phase, which rules out Arsenal, Aston Villa and Man City.
Each club can play a maximum of two sides from the same association (eg. Liverpool could not be drawn against Real Madrid, Barcelona and Girona).
Why are there more games?
This season is the first for the Champions League‘s new format.
There are 36 teams involved in the league phase and progress to the usual knockout rounds will be determined by each club’s league placing after their eight games.
The top eight teams in the 36-team league will go straight into the last 16, with the remaining eight places determined by 16 playoffs between the sides who finished between ninth and 24th.
How will the draw take place?
This season’s draw will be different to usual, with all 36 teams drawn out manually before their eight fixtures are determined by AI.
Those opponents will be drawn at random by UEFA’s automated software, as well as determining who plays who at home and away.
Clubs from Pot 1 will be the first drawn, meaning Liverpool will be among those to learn their opponents first.
Clubs will be drawn to play eight different teams – a significant change from the three group stage opponents in the old group stage format – with four home games and four away games randomly assigned.
Champions League key dates
Fixtures will actually be confirmed on Saturday, but here are the dates for the matchdays:
League draw – August 29
Matchday 1: September 17-19
Matchday 2: October 1/2
Matchday 3: October 22/23
Matchday 4: November 5/6
Matchday 5: November 26/27
Matchday 6: December 10/11
Matchday 7: January 21/22
Matchday 8: January 29
Play-off draw – January 31
Knockout play-offs: February 11/12 and 18/19
Last 16/quarter-final/semi-final draw – February 21
Last 16: March 4/5 and 11/12
Quarter-final: April 8/9 and 15/16
Semi-final: April 29/30 and May 6/7
Final: May 31 (Munich)
