Six English teams will learn their fate when the annual Champions League main draw takes place later today. Arsenal best represented the Premier League last season, with Mikel Arteta’s side defeated in the semi-final by eventual champions Paris Saint-Germain.
Joining the Gunners in the league phase draw this year will be Manchester City, Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea and Newcastle United. It’s the second year of the revamped format, which sees all qualified clubs face eight different opponents across a 36-team tournament.
Ahead of the draw this evening, Express Sport have run the possible outcomes through a supercomputer, with the simulator returning some rather interesting results.
LIVERPOOL
Real Madrid (H)
Barcelona (A)
Benfica (H)
Frankfurt (A)
Marseille (H)
Napoli (A)
Monaco (H)
Kairat Almaty (A)
The first thing that pops out when analysing Liverpool’s prospective draw is the El Clasico double-header. Both Barcelona and Real Madrid were pulled out as Liverpool’s pot one opponents, while the Reds have also been paired against the toughest opponent from pot two, Napoli. However, there will be few more intriguing matches than the trip to Kazakhstan to face Kairat Almaty, with the round trip clocking in at over 13,700 miles.
ARSENAL
Barcelona (H)
Inter Milan (A)
Juventus (H)
Bayer Leverkusen (A)
Ajax (H)
Sporting (A)
Monaco (H)
Pafos (A)
A repeat of the 2005 Champions League final is probably Arsenal’s standout tie, with Barcelona - in this simulation - set for a visit to the Emirates Stadium. Matches against Serie A giants Inter Milan and Juventus would also catch the eye, while league phase debutants, Pafos, could have the chance to welcome Arteta and co. to Cyprus.
CHELSEA
Real Madrid (H)
Bayern Munich (A)
Atalanta (H)
Juventus (A)
PSV Eindhoven (H)
Sporting (A)
Galatasaray (H)
Athletic Club (A)
It could be a return to the site where Chelsea lifted the Champions League for the first time in 2012, with Bayern Munich the Blues’ headline away fixture. The visit of Real Madrid to Stamford Bridge should get tongues wagging, with Galatasaray and Athletic Club among the tougher potential pot four opponents.
MAN CITY
Paris Saint-Germain (H)
Inter Milan (A)
Atletico Madrid (H)
Benfica (A)
Olympiacos (H)
Slavia Prague (A)
Athletic Club (H)
Qarabag (A)
The recently crowned European champions would provide a stern test for Pep Guardiola’s new-look Manchester City, as well as clashes against runners-up Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid. Trips to Lisbon, Prague and Baku would represent exciting away days for the travelling fans.
TOTTENHAM
Bayern Munich (H)
Borussia Dortmund (A)
Atletico Madrid (H)
Club Brugge (A)
Olympiacos (H)
Bodo/Glimt (A)
Galatasaray (H)
FC Copenhagen (A)
A couple of repeats from Spurs' run to the Europa League catch the eye, not least a repeat of the semi-final against Bodo/Glimt. Otherwise, it's a set of fixtures that Tottenham and Thomas Frank should be confident with.
NEWCASTLE
Paris Saint-Germain (H)
Borussia Dortmund (A)
Villarreal (H)
Eintracht Frankfurt (A)
Marseille (H)
Slavia Prague (A)
Union Saint-Gilloise (H)
Qarabag (A)
As was the case two years ago, it’s matches against PSG and Borussia Dortmund for the returning Newcastle. In truth though, a draw that includes matches against the likes of Marseille, Slavia Prague, Union Saint-Gilloise and Ferencvaros would likely fill the Toon Army with plenty of confidence, given they failed to make it out of the group the last time they qualified.