A detailed view of the UEFA Champions League Trophyplaceholder image
A detailed view of the UEFA Champions League Trophy | Getty Images
All you need to know ahead of the Champions League draw and who Man City could face.
Manchester City will discover their first Champions League opponents tonight as Europe waits to see the draw unfold. The 2025/26 season marks the second under the new format, replacing the previous group stage.
All 36 teams are now locked in and waiting to learn who they’re up against in this year’s league phase. The final qualifying fixtures delivered plenty of drama, including the elimination of both Celtic and Rangers. City will be eager to improve on last season’s run, which saw them handed their earliest Champions League exit since 2013. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the league stage draw, including a reminder of how the new format works:
When and where is the Champions League draw?
The Champions League draw for the league stage will be held at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco today, August 28th, at 5pm BST.
Which pot are Man City in for the Champions League draw?
The Champions League draw pots are determined by current coefficient, putting Man City in Pot 1 as they are currently fourth in UEFA’s rankings, making them the highest-ranked English club.
Here are all four pots in full:
Pot 1: PSG, Real Madrid, Man City, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Inter, Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona
Pot 2: Arsenal, Bayer Leverkusen, Atletico Madrid, Benfica, Atalanta, Villarreal, Juventus, Eintracht Frankfurt, Club Brugge
Pot 3: Tottenham, PSV, Ajax, Napoli, Sporting CP, Olympiacos, Slavia Praha, Bodo/Glimt, Marseille
Pot 4: Copenhagen, Monaco, Galatasaray, Union SG, Qarabag, Athletic Club, Newcastle, Pafos, Kairat Almaty
How does the Champions League league stage work?
Once the initial draw is complete, all clubs will compete in one big league-style table, unlike the previous format of eight groups of four. Each team will play eight different fixtures (four home and four away) with the aim of finishing as high up the table as possible.
The top eight teams will automatically progress into the round of 16. Teams in ninth place through to 24th must compete in the play-offs to decide the final eight going through. City scraped through last season after finishing 22nd but were eliminated by Real Madrid in the play-off round. Teams who finish 25th and below in the league stage will exit the tournament.
Who could Man City be drawn against in the Champions League?
Due to new Champions League rules, Man City will not face another English club in the league phase. Clubs cannot face opponents from the same country and can only be drawn against a maximum of two teams from another association.
Two opponents from each of the four pots will be drawn for each club. Taking the Premier League teams out of the equation, here are City’s potential opponents:
Pot 1: PSG, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Inter, Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona
Pot 2: Bayer Leverkusen, Atletico Madrid, Benfica, Atalanta, Villarreal, Juventus, Eintracht Frankfurt, Club Brugge
Pot 3: PSV, Ajax, Napoli, Sporting CP, Olympiacos, Slavia Praha, Bodo/Glimt, Marseille
Pot 4: Copenhagen, Monaco, Galatasaray, Union SG, Qarabag, Athletic Club, Pafos, Kairat Almaty
Champions League draw TV channel and live stream
TNT Sports will be televising the Champions League draw this evening, you can tune in through the channel TNT Sports 1. Alternatively, you can also stream it online for free via their YouTube channel, as well as UEFA’s.
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