Champions League draw: Chelsea, Man City, Arsenal and Man Utd to learn group stage fate

Barcelona are the current Champions League champions

THE Champions League group stage draw takes place tomorrow at around 5pm in Monaco.

 

Manchester United will hope to be a part of the draw, with Louis van Gaal's side taking on Club Brugge in their play-off second leg tonight (7.45pm) with a 3-1 advantage.

Here News News Blog Sport looks at how the UEFA event will unfold.

When does the draw start?

At 4.45pm UK time in Monaco, though they may not get down to business straight away. The ceremony includes the vote for, and presentation of, the 2014-15 UEFA Best Player in Europe Awards for men and women.

What's the format for the group stage again?

The 32 teams will be drawn into eight groups of four, to play each other home and away between September and December. The top two teams from each group progress to the last 16 knock-out stages in February.

How will the draw be made?

The 32 teams will be split into four seeded pots with each group containing one from each pot.

 

Can teams from the same country be in the same pot?

Yes, they can.

Could Chelsea play Arsenal, or might there be another all-Premier League match?

Not at this stage, no. Teams from the same association cannot be put in the same group.

Is there anything new in the draw format this season?

Yes. A new seeding system means Pot 1 will be comprised of the holders and the champions of the top seven associations: Spain, England, Germany, Italy, Portugal, France and Russia. As Barcelona are also Spanish champions, the eighth-ranked Holland receive the vacant seeding place.

So which teams are in Pot 1?

Pot 1 will be made up of: Barcelona, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Juventus, Benfica, Paris St Germain, Zenit St Petersburg and PSV Eindhoven.

What about the other pots?

The other pots will be finalised following the play-off results on Wednesday night. Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Porto, Arsenal and Manchester City are already guaranteed to be in Pot 2. Manchester United would also be in Pot 2 if they beat Club Brugge.