The seeding pots for Thursday’s Champions League group stage draw have been finalized following the qualification of the last four teams on Wednesday.
A total of 36 teams have advanced to the group stage and are distributed into four pots based on their performances in UEFA competitions over the past five years. Each team will be drawn to compete against two other teams from different pots, playing one match at home and one away.
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Defending champions Paris Saint-Germain have secured their spot in Pot 1, which also features last year’s finalists, Arsenal, along with elite clubs such as Real Madrid, Barcelona, Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Manchester City, Inter Milan, and Atlético Madrid.
Three-time champions Manchester United will enter the draw from Pot 2 as they return to the Champions League after a two-year absence. Joining them will be Europa League champions Aston Villa, plus former European titleholders Borussia Dortmund and FC Porto.
In the last two days, several teams from Pots 3 and 4 secured their places. Fenerbahce reached the group stage for the first time since the 2008-09 season with a 3-2 aggregate victory over Lyon in the playoffs on Wednesday. Also in Pot 3 will be AEK Athens, who advanced with a dominant 4-0 win over Levski Sofia after a goalless first leg, marking their return since the 2018-19 season.
Bodo/Glimt, the Norwegian team that captivated fans with impressive victories earlier this year over Manchester City, Atlético Madrid, and Inter Milan, is a potential threat in Pot 3.
Their compatriots, Viking, will make their first appearance in the group stage after defeating Dinamo Zagreb in the playoffs. Viking secured a 3-1 victory Wednesday, advancing 5-3 on aggregate and will be placed in Pot 4.
Pot 4 also features newcomers Sabah from Azerbaijan, Austria’s LASK Linz, and Italian side Como, who are coached by former Champions League runner-up Cesc Fabregas.
The top eight teams in the group stage will progress directly to the round of 16, while the teams finishing between ninth and 24th will enter playoffs for knockout phase qualification.
Confirmed pots for the Champions League group stage draw:
Pot 1: Paris Saint-Germain (FRA), Bayern Munich (GER), Real Madrid (ESP), Liverpool (ENG), Inter Milan (ITA), Manchester City (ENG), Arsenal (ENG), Barcelona (ESP), Atlético Madrid (ESP)
Pot 2: Borussia Dortmund (GER), Roma (ITA), Sporting CP (POR), Aston Villa (ENG), FC Porto (POR), Manchester United (ENG), Club Brugge (BEL), Real Betis (ESP), PSV (NED)
Pot 3: Feyenoord (NED), Lille (FRA), Bodo/Glimt (NOR), Napoli (ITA), RB Leipzig (GER), Villarreal (ESP), Fenerbahçe (TUR), Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR), Galatasaray (TUR)
Pot 4: Slavia Prague (CZE), Slovan Bratislava (SVK), Stuttgart (GER), AEK Athens (GRE), LASK (AUT), Como (ITA), Lens (FRA), Viking (NOR), Sabah (AZE)
Reporting by the Associated Press.