Champions League draw heads to Monaco as PSG chase historic third straight crown

European club football's showpiece competition is preparing for another chapter, with 36 teams set to discover their fate when the league-phase draw is conducted in Monaco on Thursday.

The ceremony takes place on August 27 at 6pm local time (17:00 GMT) at the Grimaldi Forum, less than a day after the final qualification places are settled. Once the fixtures are known, attention will turn to the opening round of matches in September, kicking off a campaign that stretches all the way to a final in early June.

Defending champions Paris Saint-Germain arrive as the team to beat after lifting the trophy in each of the past two seasons. A third consecutive triumph would cement their place in history, but they face stiff opposition from a host of heavyweights including Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester City, Liverpool and Bayern Munich, all determined to end the French club's dominance.

This is the third season under the current format, which replaced the traditional group stage. Instead of facing three opponents twice, every participant now meets eight different sides — two drawn from each of the four seeding pots — with half of those games at home and half away. Results across the eight matchdays determine standings in a single league table before the knockout bracket begins.

Twenty-nine of the 36 entrants earned direct entry through their finishing positions in domestic leagues last term. The remaining seven slots were decided through a qualifying route that started earlier this month and wraps up barely 24 hours before the draw itself. Bodo/Glimt, LASK and Sabah recently secured their places, while eight remaining hopefuls fight it out on Wednesday for the last four berths.

The confirmed field blends familiar giants with newcomers. Alongside PSG, the line-up features Arsenal, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United from England; Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid, Real Betis and Villarreal from Spain; Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig and Stuttgart from Germany; plus Inter Milan, Napoli, Roma, Atalanta's Serie A colleagues Como, Galatasaray, PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord, Club Brugge, Sporting CP, FC Porto, LOSC Lille, Shakhtar Donetsk, Slavia Prague and more.

Pot 1 contains the elite: PSG, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Inter Milan, Manchester City, Arsenal, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. Pot 2 comprises Aston Villa, Manchester United, Borussia Dortmund, Roma, Sporting, Porto, Club Brugge, PSV Eindhoven and Real Betis. Pot 3 holds Feyenoord, Lille, Napoli, RB Leipzig, Villarreal, Shakhtar Donetsk, Galatasaray and Bodo/Glimt, alongside the eventual League Path winner. Slavia Prague, Stuttgart, LASK, Como, Lens and Sabah sit in Pot 4, joined by three Champions Path victors.

The league phase unfolds over eight matchdays between September 8-10 and January 27, with rounds also scheduled for October, November, December and mid-January.

The knockout stages follow swiftly. Playoffs are set for February, the Round of 16 arrives in March, quarterfinals span both halves of April, and semifinals run from late April into early May. The showpiece occasion is booked for June 5 at the Estadio Metropolitano in Madrid, the home ground of Atletico.

PSG claimed last season's crown in dramatic fashion at Budapest's Puskas Arena on May 30, edging Arsenal 4-3 on penalties after a tense 1-1 draw following extra time. Gabriel's failed spot-kick, sailing over goalkeeper Matvey Safonov's crossbar, sealed the outcome and made the Parisians the first side to retain the title since Real Madrid strung together three wins between 2016 and 2018.

Luis Enrique's squad then added the UEFA Super Cup earlier this month, defeating Aston Villa 2-1 in the traditional season opener. Desire Doue proved the difference-maker, converting Ousmane Dembele's pass in the 61st minute — a strike initially chalked off for offside before video review showed Matty Cash had narrowly kept him onside.

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