Champions League predicted draw as Liverpool handed reunions and Arsenal host Real Madrid

Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool and Aston Villa are all keenly waiting to find out who they will face in the brand new format of the Champions League group stage tonight (5pm). The structure of the groups has been radically changed by UEFA for the 2024-25 campaign.

Previously, 32 teams were divided into eight groups of four. The top two in each group, after six matches had been played, progressed to the round of 16. The third-placed teams dropped into the Europa League knockout round play-offs.

Now, there will be a 36-team league format for the Champions League of which the top eight will automatically progress to the round of 16. The other eight teams will be decided between ninth position to 24th.

Those 16 sides will fight it out in a two-legged play-off round with the winners joining those first to eighth in the round of 16, which will be followed by the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final as usual.

To determine the league standings, teams will play eight matches against eight different opponents – four home and four away – as opposed to playing the same three teams home and away.

With some help, Express Sport has conducted a mock draw which sees all five British clubs – including Scottish champions Celtic – handed some exciting match-ups…

LIVERPOOL

Stuttgart (A)

Sparta Prague (H)

Borussia Dortmund (A)

Feyenoord (H)

RB Salzburg (A)

Club Brugge (H)

Shakhtar Donetsk (A)

Barcelona (H)

Two of the headline-grabbing matches for Liverpool would be the reunions this would present them. One would see Arne Slot come face-to-face with old club Feyenoord, and the other would see the Reds go up against Pep Lijnders, Jurgen Klopp’s former No.2 who is now the manager of Austrian outfit Red Bull Salzburg.

Arne Slot’s first ever Anfield European night would see him face a team the Reds thrashed in the Europa League last season, 6-1 at home and 5-1 away, in Sparta Prague.

While none of their away matches are easy, with another return to Klopp’s old club Borussia Dortmund where ex-Liverpool player Emre Can is now captain, the Reds would fancy themselves to pick up between nine to 12 points at home.

That would give them a good chance of making it into the play-off round at the least. A final round clash with Barcelona would be their first since that iconic 4-0 comeback win at Anfield in May 2019.

ARSENAL

RB Salzburg (H)

Girona (A)

Lille (A)

Real Madrid (H)

Stuttgart (H)

Inter Milan (A)

Bayer Leverkusen (H)

Juventus (A)

Arsenal fell at the quarter-final stage last season to familiar foes Bayern Munich and have been handed some blockbuster fixtures this time around in Express Sport’s predicted draw.

The most exciting of their matches sees them face the reigning European champions, and 15-time European Cup winners, Real Madrid at the Emirates. Two trips to Italy to face Inter Milan and Juventus would test the Gunners too.

They too would face Lijnders’ Salzburg. And the visit of invincible Bundesliga title-holders Bayer Leverkusen is also a mouthwatering prospect and would pit Mikel Arteta against childhood friend Xabi Alonso in the dugout.

The north Londoners would have to start strong in order to finish in the top eight. Even with such difficult matches, they would be heavily fancied to finish inside the top 24 teams given their Premier League performance levels under Arteta the last two years.

MAN CITY

Sturm Graz (H)

Bologna (A)

Barcelona (A)

Bayer Leverkusen (H)

Club Brugge (A)

Sporting (H)

Lille (A)

Borussia Dortmund (H)

Manchester City will back themselves no matter who the opponent. And with this relatively kind draw, they’d be expected to go through to the round of 16 automatically.

Pep Guardiola’s charges could not retain their European crown last season but would be favourites in all eight of these fixtures – including against Alonso’s German champions Leverkusen and away at Guardiola’s old club Barcelona, now managed by Hansi Flick.

Top goalscorer Erling Haaland already has 41 career goals in the Champions League – including 18 in 20 games for City and would be confident of extending that tally in some of these fixtures against the likes of Sturm Graz, Bologna and Club Brugge.

ASTON VILLA

PSG (A)

Dinamo Zagreb (H)

Benfica (A)

Girona (H)

Inter Milan (H)

Young Boys (A)

Atletico Madrid (H)

Brest (A)

Back in Europe’s premier competition for the first time in 41 years, 1982 European Cup winners Villa are braced for some high-profile showdowns on their return.

This draw, though, would hand them some winnable fixtures as well as the exciting glamour contests their fans will be craving. Unai Emery is a four-time Europa League-winning coach and will be keen to punch above his weight with Villa in the Champions League, having already done an incredible job domestically.

Villa Park would be electric for the visits of Inter and Atletico in particular, and any kind of result for the Villans in Emery’s reunion with PSG would mark the perfect start to their group stage campaign.

Though they have not played in this tournament for a long time, they will be hopeful part in thanks to their raucous home atmosphere – and also the pedigree of Emery in cup competitions – of finishing between ninth and 24th so that they give themselves a chance of making the last 16.

CELTIC

Feyenoord (A)

Borussia Dortmund (H)

Atalanta (H)

Benfica (A)

Barcelona (A)

Lille (H)

Girona (H)

Slovan Bratislava (A)

Celtic haven’t played a Champions League knockout match since 2013. Will the new format help them end that drought? Brendan Rodgers will certainly hope so.

This draw would see avoid any of the real favourites to win the competition, although facing Barcelona away from home is never an easy task. A trip to Rotterdam first up would give them chance to avenge last year’s 2-0 group stage defeat at De Kuip.

The Hoops would be optimistic of picking up enough points to avoid the ignominy of finishing 25th or lower and dropping straight out. But it will be a tough task to make it into the last 16 given the difference in finances for the Scottish league and Europe’s other major divisions.