Pots set for 2023

Jun 23, 2023

Craig Burley feels Arsenal are a better side without new signing Kai Havertz in the starting lineup. (1:05)

The pots for Thursday's Champions League group stage draw have been finalised after Antwerp, FC Copenhagen and PSV Eindhoven secured the final three places in this season's competition.

It will be the last time a group draw takes place, with the UCL revamped next season into one 36-team league.

Manchester City take their place in Pot 1 as titleholders, along with Sevilla, who won the UEFA Europa League. The rest of the top pot is made up of the champions of the top six leagues as well as Feyenoord; the Eredivisie winners are promoted from Pot 3 as Pep Guardiola's team also won the Premier League.

Pots 2-4 are built based on UEFA's five-year coefficient score, with Newcastle United in Pot 4 as this will be their first European campaign for 11 seasons. It means the Magpies could face a tough return to the Champions League in a group against, for instance, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and AC Milan.

The group stage draw will begin at 5 p.m. UK / midday ET on Thursday, with the first fixtures scheduled for Sept. 19 and 20. The schedule is expected to be announced by Saturday.

One team from each pot will be drawn into a group. Teams from the same national association cannot be placed into the same group.

This season the final will be held at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday, June 1.

POT 1

Manchester CitySevillaBarcelonaNapoliBayern MunichParis Saint-GermainBenficaFeyenoord

POT 2

Real MadridManchester UnitedInternazionaleBorussia DortmundAtletico MadridRB LeipzigFC PortoArsenal

POT 3

Shakhtar DonetskFC SalzburgAC MilanBragaPSV EindhovenLazioRed Star BelgradeFC Copenhagen

POT 4

Young BoysReal SociedadGalatasarayCelticNewcastle UnitedUnion BerlinAntwerpLens