Who can Arsenal face in Champions League draw today? Pot confirmed and new format explained

Arsenal will today learn their opponents in the league phase of the Champions League.

The Gunners, however, must contend with a new format this year after UEFA’s radical shake-up to the competition.

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The previous group stage of eight groups consisting of four teams each has been ditched in favour of a new league format.

All of the 36 teams have been separated into four pots and will draw two from each. They will face eight different opponents, playing four matches at home and four away.

Arsenal are in Pot 2 for the draw, meaning they could face the likes of holders Real Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain from Pot 1.

The draw takes place on Thursday at 5pm BST and much of it will be automated due to the sheer number of fixtures to be organised.

Play-off ties on Tuesday and Wednesday decided the final clubs in the hat before Mikel Arteta learns who will be heading to the Emirates Stadium in what promises to be one of the most fascinating European campaigns of all time.

Which pot are Arsenal in for the Champions League draw?

Arsenal have been placed in Pot 2, as their current coefficient has them sat 19th in UEFA’s rankings for European teams.

Who can Arsenal face in the Champions League draw?

The ceremony will produce eight opponents for every team, two from each pot. That means Arsenal will play two of the top-ranked clubs.

They cannot play a team from their own country (Aston Villa, Liverpool or Manchester City) at this stage and can only play a maximum of two teams from each other country.

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

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

Pot 3: Feyenoord, Sporting CP, PSV, Celtic, Young Boys, Dinamo Zagreb, Lille, RB Salzburg, Red Star Belgrade

Pot 4: Sparta Prague, Monaco, Bologna, Girona, Stuttgart, Sturm Graz, Brest, Slovan Bratislava

Dream scenario for Arsenal

RB Leipzig, Barcelona, Club Brugge, Shakhtar Donetsk, Celtic, Dinamo Zagreb, Sturm Graz, Slovan Bratislava

Nightmare scenario for Arsenal

Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen, Juventus, PSV, Sporting CP, Monaco, Girona

Champions League group-stage matchdays

The exact make-up of each week in terms of kick-off times and match dates will be provided on Saturday by UEFA.

Matchday 1: September 17-19, 2024

Matchday 2: October 1/2, 2024

Matchday 3: October 22/23, 2024

Matchday 4: November 5/6, 2024

Matchday 5: November 26/27, 2024

Matchday 6: December 10/11, 2024

Matchday 7: January 21/22, 2025

Matchday 8: January 29, 2025