LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Wednesday, November 27, 2019: Liverpool's captain Jordan Henderson leads his side out before the UEFA Champions League Group E match between Liverpool FC and SSC Napoli at Anfield. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Champions League group stage draw – When is it & who can Liverpool face?

Liverpool’s path in the group stage of the Champions League is to be confirmed on Thursday, and we now know the possible opponents who lay in wait.

A strong and largely unexpected finish to last season ensured Jurgen Klopp‘s men would have a clean slate for 2021/22.

The third-place finish guaranteed Champions League football for the fifth campaign in a row, and there are some familiar clubs in the reckoning for Ol’ Big Ears and they could be put in Liverpool’s path in the group stage.

Klopp’s side are in pot 2 this time around, meaning they could face one of Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid, Lille, Sporting CP from pot 1.

There will, of course, be no chance of being drawn with Man City and Chelsea – both pot 1 — while another meeting with either Porto, Ajax, Leipzig and Atalanta could await from pot 3.

But just when is the draw and who could Liverpool meet?


Champions League Group Stage Pots

NYON, SWITZERLAND - Monday, December 14, 2020: The draw pot for Liverpool FC during the UEFA Champions League 2020/21 Round of 16 draw at the UEFA Headquarters, the House of European Football. (Photo Handout/UEFA)

Pot 1: Chelsea*, Bayern Munich, Man City*, Atletico Madrid, Villarreal, Inter, Sporting CP, Lille

Pot 2: Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus, Liverpool, Man United, PSG, Sevilla, Dortmund

Pot 3: Porto, RB Leipzig, Ajax, Atalanta, RB Salzburg, Benfica, Zenit Saint Petersburg, Shakhtar

Pot 4: Brugge, AC Milan, Young Boys, Besiktas, Dynamo Kiev, Malmo, Wolfsburg, Sheriff Tiraspol

* Cannot be drawn against in Champions League group stage.


When and where is the draw?

The draw will be held in Istanbul on Thursday, August 26 at 5pm (BST) and will be broadcast live on UEFA.com.


Group Stage Schedule

LISBON, PORTUGAL - Sunday, August 23, 2020: The European Cup trophy on display before the UEFA Champions League Final between FC Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain at the Estadio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica. (Credit: ©UEFA)

Matchday 1: 14/15 September

Matchday 2: 28/29 September

Matchday 3: 19/20 October

Matchday 4: 2/3 November

Matchday 5: 23/24 November

Matchday 6: 7/8 December

The knockout stages will then follow in 2022 on the road to the final, which is being held in Saint Petersburg, Russia at the Gazprom Arena on May 28.