|
The draw for the group stage of the Champions League takes place at 5 p.m. BST, midday ET on Thursday, Aug. 25. The 32 teams are separated into four pots. Pot 1 contains the holders (Real Madrid) and the champions of the top 7 leagues, as ranked by UEFA country coefficient. The remaining three pots are ranked in order of UEFA team coefficient, which is based on a club's performance in the Champions League and the Europa League over the past five years. The eight highest-ranked teams will be in pot 2, the next eight in pot 3 and lowest-ranked eight in pot 4. No team can play a club from their own association. Dynamo Kiev cannot be drawn in the same group as CSKA Moscow or Rostov for political reasons. The draw ceremony also includes the 2015-16 UEFA Best Player in Europe awards for men and women. DRAW POTS Seeded Pot 1: Real Madrid (holders), Barcelona, Leicester City, Bayern Munich, Juventus, Benfica, PSG, CSKA Moscow Pot 2: Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Arsenal, Manchester City, Sevilla, Porto, Napoli, Bayer Leverkusen Pot 3: FC Basel, Tottenham Hotspur, Dynamo Kiev, Lyon, PSV Eindhoven, Sporting CP, Club Brugge, Borussia Monchengladbach Pot 4: Celtic, AS Monaco, Besiktas, Legia Warsaw, Dinamo Zagreb, Ludogorets Razgrad, FC Copenhagen, Rostov GROUP STAGE MATCHDAYS
September 13, 14
September 27, 28
October 18, 19
November 1, 2
November 22, 23
December 6, 7 Round of 16 draw: Monday, Dec. 12.
|
