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Champions League draw: Pot details

:Headline: Champions League draw: Pot details: ID:101436: from db_amp
Sports Mole brings you details of which sides will feature in the four respective pots ahead of this afternoon's Champions League group stage draw.

Today marks one of the most anticipated days in the football calendar - the Champions League group stage draw.

After three rounds of qualifying, the full 32-team lineup is now known, with the clubs now being divided into eight groups of four.

Each group will include a side that has been seeded one, two three and four, based on their UEFA coefficients, but teams from the same country cannot face each other during the group stage.

Read below to find out details of each pot ahead of the draw that will take place at approximately 4.45pm BST.


Pot one

Teams: Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Arsenal, Porto, Benfica

Holders Bayern Munich go into this year's competition with the highest UEFA coefficient, and they will rightly be regarded as favourites to retain their crown.

Barcelona and Real Madrid will be expected to pose the most credible challenge to the German outfit, with both Spanish giants changing their managers over the summer.

The same can be said of Chelsea, who will have a strong desire to atone for their dismal performance in the competition last season.

Manchester United will always carry a threat, while the rest of the clubs in the competition will likely be targeting a meeting with either Arsenal, Porto or Benfica.


Pot two

Teams: Atletico Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk, AC Milan, Schalke 04, Marseille, CSKA Moscow, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus

Pot two is littered with teams that the rest of the opposition will want to avoid, including big-spending Paris Saint-Germain.

Juventus and Atletico Madrid will also be feared, while AC Milan looked impressive in defeating PSV Eindhoven during the final qualifying round.

Shakhtar Donetsk's reputation improves by the season, and after knocking Chelsea out last season, no-one will want to travel to Ukraine.

Schalke 04 reached the semi-finals in 2011, leaving Marseille and CSKA Moscow as the most favourable draw.


Pot three

Teams: Zenit St Petersburg, Manchester City, Ajax, Borussia Dortmund, Basel, Olympiacos, Galatasaray, Bayer Leverkusen

Like with pot two, the selection of third seeds provide plenty of formidable opposition, most notably last year's runners-up Borussia Dortmund.

Manchester City will be hoping for an easier draw than in previous seasons, and have the potential to have an impact in the competition.

Bayer Leverkusen finished third in Germany last season, while Zenit St Petersburg and Galatasaray are trips to be avoided.

Ajax provide attractive opposition, but could lose their star man Christian Eriksen, with Basel and Olympiacos looking the easiest draw out of these eight clubs.


Pot four

Teams: FC Copenhagen, Napoli, Anderlecht, Celtic, Steaua Bucuresti, Viktoria Plzen, Real Sociedad, Austria Vienna

Napoli, now under the leadership of Rafael Benitez, are the stand-out name of the bottom seeds, closely followed by Real Sociedad.

Sociedad excelled in seeing off the challenge of Lyon in the final qualifying round, while few clubs will fancy a trip to Scotland to face Celtic.

Steaua Bucuresti tested Chelsea in the Europa League last season, while Anderlecht have the potential to cause one or two surprises.

FC Copenhagen, Viktoria Plzen and Austria Vienna will be considered as the minnows of this season's competition.

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