Champions League draw: Who Liverpool can face in revamped league format replacing group stage

Liverpool will this week learn their Champions League fate after spending a season away from Europe's elite club competition .

After finishing fifth in the Premier League back during the 2022/23 season, the Reds missed out on playing in the Champions League during Jurgen Klopp's final season at Anfield , but are set to return to the competition this term following their third placed finish back in May.

However, things are set to change this season in the Champions League. Gone are the days of the group stages which have been scrapped this year in favor of a 'league phase', which will see teams compete against one another in a new table format.

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All 36 of the teams competing in the Champions League this season will play eight games, four home and four away. And that will also see them face off against two teams from each of the four seeding pots. Liverpool are seeded in Pot 1 alongside Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Milan, RB Leipzig, Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City.

However, they cannot face Manchester City in the 'league phase', nor can they face Arsenal or Aston Villa, who are in Pot 2 and Pot 4 respectively due to being from the same nation.

How do you reckon Liverpool will fare in Europe under Arne Slot this season? Let us know in the comments section below.

Here are the pots for the Champions League...

Pot 1: RB Leipzig, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, PSG, Inter Milan, Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City

Pot 2: Bayer Leverkusen, Atletico Madrid, Atalanta, Juventus, Benfica, Club Brugge, Shakhtar Donetsk, AC Milan, Arsenal

Pot 3: Feyenoord, Sporting CP, PSV, Celtic, Young Boys, Dinamo Zagreb or Qarabag, Lille or Slavia Prague, RB Salzburg

Pot 4: Sparta Prague, Monaco, Bologna, Girona, Stuttgart, Sturm Graz, Brest, Aston Villa

Undecided (either Pot 3 or Pot 4 depending on play-off results): Midtjylland or Slovan Bratislava, Bodo/Glimt or Red Star Belgrade

Match day 1 of the new revamped Champions League will see Liverpool return to action in Europe's elite competition next month, with games set to take place on the 17th, 18th and 19th of September. Usually, the group stage format is concluded before the turn of the year. But with the added two games, the new 'league path' is set to conclude on January 29 2025.

Liverpool.com says: "While Liverpool won't have to face a group of death like Newcastle United did last year, they could be handed a tricky slate of fixtures due to the new competition format. There is no guarantee they will get their toughest European games at home this season, which could mean they could be handed a trip to face defending champions Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.

"Either way, it'll be interesting to see just how Liverpool handle the new format, along with all the other teams competing in the Champions League this season.