The draw for the Champions League is tonight at 6 p.m. in Istanbul. Due to the loss of PSV against Rangers FC, Ajax is the only remaining club in the most important European tournament. The team from Amsterdam is in Pot 1 and a total of 32 clubs are participating in the draw.
The last time a Dutch team took part in Pot 1 was in 2015. PSV then belonged to the select group. Now it’s Ajax’s turn, and as a result Alfred Schreuder’s team avoids a lot of strong opponents. Think of clubs like Real Madrid, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain. Although there are also clubs in Pot 2 that have played a significant role in Europe in recent years. Think Liverpool, Barcelona, Juventus and Atletico Madrid.
Scheme
The group stage of the Champions League starts on Tuesday, September 6. Game days will remain on Tuesday and Wednesday as has been the case for years. The matches follow each other in rapid succession because of the upcoming World Cup in Qatar. The numbers 1 and 2 of the group advance to the knockout phase.
Overview of Champions League pot classification:
Jar 1: Real Madrid, Eintracht Frankfurt, Manchester City, AC Milan, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, FC Porto, Ajax
Jar 2: Liverpool, Chelsea, FC Barcelona, Juventus, Atlético Madrid, Sevilla, RB Leipzig, Tottenham Hotspur
Jar 3: Borussia Dortmund, Red Bull Salzburg, Shakhtar Donetsk, Internazionale, Napoli, Benfica, Sporting Portugal, Bayer Leverkusen
Jar 4: Rangers FC, Dinamo Zagreb, Olympique Marseille, FC Copenhagen, Club Brugge, Celtic, Viktoria Plzen, Maccabi Haifa