Champions League pots for group stage draw 2022/23: How all 32 teams are seeded for UEFA tournament
The UEFA Champions League group stage draw is one of the must-watch events on the summer calendar and the 2022/23 edition takes place on Thursday 25 August in Istanbul, Turkey.
Big European clubs like Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Manchester City and holders Real Madrid will all get to know their opponents in the group stage and know that they need to finish in the top two to earn a place in the knockout rounds to secure.
In the draw, eight groups (groups AH) are formed, each with four teams from four different pots.
The Sporting News brings you the pot names below, including an explanation of how the seeding process works and potential matchups.
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When is the Champions League group stage draw?
The group stage of the Champions League takes place on 12:00 PM ET / 5:00 PM BST on Thursday, August 25, 2022 in Istanbul, Turkey, the venue for the 2023 Champions League Final.
The draw will split 32 teams into eight groups of four. During the draw, UEFA selects one team for each group from each of the four pots.
Teams in Pot 1 are identified using a set of criteria, while teams in Pots 2-4 are grouped using a different measure.
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Champions League pots for the group stage draw
Pot 1 consists of the defending champions of the Champions League (Real Madrid) and the Europa League (Eintracht Frankfurt) as well as the reigning champions of the top six nations in the UEFA country coefficient list.
As Real Madrid are Spanish champions (a top 6 nation) as well as the defending UEFA Champions League champions, the spot in Pot 1 reserved for the Spanish champions is allocated to the next best nation in the countries’ coefficient list. In this case, the Netherlands and their reigning Eredivisie champions Ajax were lifted into Pot 1.
Pots 2, 3 and 4 are based on the UEFA Club Coefficients List, a mathematical formula used to assess a given club’s performance in domestic and continental competitions over the past five years.
Each club’s UEFA club coefficient rankings are included below for pots 2-4, as the seeding of clubs in these pots is based on the coefficient rankings.
| pot 1 | pot 2 | pot 3 | pot 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| real Madrid (Champions League) |
2 Liverpool | 19-Borussia Dortmund | 33 rangers |
| Eintracht Frankfurt (European League) |
5-Chelsea | 21-RB Salzburg | 34-Dinamo Zagreb |
| Manchester City (1st, England) |
6-Barcelona | 22-Shahtar Donetsk | 38-Olympique Marseille |
| AC Milan (1st, Italy) |
8-Juventus | 23-Inter Milan | 41-FC Copenhagen |
| Bayern Munich (1st, Germany) |
9-Atlético Madrid | 25-Napoli | 44 Club Brugge |
| PSG (1st, France) |
12-Seville | 27 Benfica | 51-celtic |
| postage (1st, Portugal) |
13-RB Leipzig | 28 Sporty CP | 55-Victoria Pilsen |
| ajax (1st, Netherlands) |
14-Tottenham | 30-Bayer Leverkusen | 169-Maccabi Haifa |
One club is selected from each pot to form the eight groups (groups AH).
Clubs from the same country cannot be drawn into the same group and must be moved to the next available group.
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| number of societies |
nation | societies |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Germany | Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen, RB Leipzig, Eintracht Frankfurt |
| 4 | England | Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham |
| 4 | Italy | AC Milan, Inter Milan, Napoli, Juventus |
| 4 | Spain | Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atlético Madrid, Seville |
| 3 | Portugal | Benfica, Porto, Sporting CP |
| 2 | France | PSG, Olympique Marseille |
| 2 | Scotland | Celtic, Rangers |
| 1 | Austria | RB Salzburg |
| 1 | Belgium | Club Brugge |
| 1 | Croatia | Dynamo Zagreb |
| 1 | Czech Republic | Victoria Pilsen |
| 1 | Denmark | FC Copenhagen |
| 1 | Israel | Maccabi Haifa |
| 1 | Netherlands | ajax |
| 1 | Ukraine | Shakhtar Donetsk |
Potential Champions League death squad for 2022/23
Since Pot 1 is not based on the UEFA club coefficient, some extremely strong teams remain in Pot 2 and even Pot 3.
That said, there’s a good chance we’ll see a group made up of powerhouse clubs, earning it the popular ‘Group of Death’ label.
Here are some possible combinations for a potential death group should the draw fall that way. Any combination of these teams could mean an extremely difficult road to the knockout rounds for the clubs involved:
- Real Madrid, Liverpool, Inter Milan, Olympique Marseille
- Manchester City, Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund, PSV Eindhoven
- PSG, Tottenham Hotspur, Napoli, Dinamo Zagreb
Softest Potential Champions League Draws 2022/23
Conversely, while a group of deaths is often a popular topic of conversation for fans, there are sometimes extremely favorable draws as well.
The seeded teams in Pot 1 are hoping for a less arduous path to the knockout rounds and the Red Bull club family should be a desirable option in this scenario.
A pot 2 draw by RB Leipzig together with a pot 3 selection by RB Salzburg is considered favorable. One of the lowest seeds from Pot 4 would top it off: Maccabi Haifa or Viktoria Plzen.
How to watch the 2022/23 Champions League
| country | TV channel | stream |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | BT Sport 1, BT Sport Ultimate | BT Sport app, BTSport.com |
| United States of America | CBSSN, Univision, TUDN | fuboTV, Paramount+, ViX+ |
| Australia | — | Stan sports |
| Canada | — | DAZN |
Champions League matches 2022/23
The preliminary qualifying rounds took place between June and August and resulted in the final six spots for the group stage. The tournament begins in earnest with the group stage, which concludes before the World Cup.
The 16 clubs progressing at the end of the group stage – the top two teams in each group – are drawn in the round of 16, followed by the quarter-finals and semi-finals, all of which are played in two legs.
The final will be held on June 10, 2023 at Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey.
Group stage schedule
The draw for the 2022/23 Champions League group stage will take place on August 25, 2022 in Istanbul, Turkey.
| Gameday | Events |
|---|---|
| 1 | September 6-7, 2022 |
| 2 | September 13 and 14, 2022 |
| 3 | 4th-5th October 2022 |
| 4 | 11-12 October 2022 |
| 5 | 25-26 October 2022 |
| 6 | 1st-2nd November 2022 |
Knockout Stage Schedule
The draw for the 2022/23 Champions League Round of 16 will take place on November 7, 2022.
The draw for the remaining rounds (quarter-finals and semi-finals) of the 2022/23 Champions League knockout stages will take place on 17 March 2023.
| Round | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|
| round of 16 | 14-22 February 2023 | 7th-15th March 2023 |
| quarter finals | 11-12 April 2023 | 18-19 April 2023 |
| semifinals | 9th-10th May 2023 | 16-17 May 2023 |
| final | June 10, 2023 | |