The best and worst case scenarios for Chelsea, Man City, Man United, Liverpool, Spurs and Celtic in UCL draw
Six British teams will be in the bowls for today's draw for the Champions League group stages in Monaco this evening (5pm Irish time).
Each of the 32 teams will be divided into four pots and then drawn into eight different groups – comprising of one team from each pot.
We already know the composition of Pot 1 – with current holders Real Madrid being grouped alongside the champions of the other top seven leagues in Europe based on Uefa’s coefficient rankings.
In England’s case, that means Premier League champions Chelsea are in Pot 1, while Manchester United and Manchester City are placed in Pot 2.
Tottenham find themselves in Pot 3 alongside Liverpool, while Celtic will be in Pot 4.
No team can face another from their own pot or from their own country.
Here are the best and worst cast scenarios for all the British teams.
Here are Manchester United’s worst case scenarios:
Real Madrid
Manchester United
Napoli
RB Leipzig
Because United are in Pot 2, they avoid the likes of Barcelona, PSG, Atletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund - but they could find themselves up against defending champions Real Madrid.
Juventus
Manchester United
Besiktas
Feyenoord
Should they draw Juventus from Pot 1, United will avoid Italian sides Napoli and Roma but could instead face a tough trip to Turkish champions Besiktas.
Bayern Munich
Manchester United
Roma
Sporting
RB Leipzig, who finished second in Bundesliga last season, appear to be the most challenging opponents from Pot 4, which could also contain Dutch champions Feyenoord and Portuguese side Sporting.
Here are United's best case scenarios:
Spartak Moscow
Manchester United
FC Basel
Apoel Nicosia
The lowest ranked sides in Pot 1 (according to Uefa club coefficient rankings) are Russian champions Spartak Moscow and Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk.
Shakhtar
Manchester United
Anderlecht
Maribor
Here are Liverpool’s worst case scenarios:
Real Madrid
PSG
Liverpool
RB Leipzig
Because the Reds are in Pot 3, they will draw one team from each of Pots 1 and 2 which contain the highest-ranked teams in Europe.
That means they could face a horrible group with the likes of current holders Real Madrid (Pot 1), the super-rich PSG (Pot 2) and Bundesliga runners-up RB Leipzig from Pot 4.
Juventus
Barcelona
Liverpool
Feyenoord
Should Liverpool avoid Real Madrid from Pot 1 - and draw last season's runners-up Juventus instead - that would open up Spanish sides Barcelona and Atletico from Pot 2.
Bayern Munich
Atletico
Liverpool
Sporting
They could also draw Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich from Pot 1 and the likes of Portuguese side Sporting, Russian side CSKA Moscow or Dutch champions Feyenoord from Pot 4.
Here are Liverpool's best case scenarios:
Spartak
Porto
Liverpool
Apoel
The lowest ranked sides in Pot 1 (according to Uefa club coefficient rankings) are Russian champions Spartak Moscow and Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk.
Shakhtar
Sevilla
Liverpool
Maribor
Of teams in Pot 2, Sevilla appear to be the weakest although they are notoriously difficult to beat in Europe and defeated the Reds in the 2015 Europa League final. Klopp could also face his former side Borussia Dortmund from Pot 2.
Benfica
Dortmund
Liverpool
FC Kobenhavn
Klopp will be eyeing up the likes of Slovenian side Maribor, the Danish team FC Kobenhavn and Cypriot champions Apoel Nicosia from Pot 4.
Here are Chelsea’s worst case scenarios:
Chelsea
Barcelona
Napoli
RB Leipzig
Because Chelsea are in Pot 1 they will avoid the likes of current holders Real Madrid and last season's runners-up Juventus.
Chelsea
PSG
Roma
Feyenoord
However, they will draw a team from the dangerous Pot 2 which includes the likes of Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, PSG and Borussia Dortmund.
Chelsea
Atletico Madrid
Besiktas
Sporting
RB Leipzig are the toughest looking opponents in Pot 4, although Chelsea could also face Dutch champions Feyenoord or Portuguese side Sporting.
Here are Chelsea’s best case scenarios:
Chelsea
Porto
FC Basel
Apoel Nicosia
The weakest looking team Chelsea could draw from Pot 2 appears to be Porto.
Chelsea
Sevilla
Anderlecht
Maribor
Sevilla, who are expected to qualify on Tuesday night, appear to be the next easiest opponents although are notoriouly difficult to beat in Europe.
Conte's side will be looking at sides like FC Basel and Anderlecht from Pot 3 and Apoel Nicosia, Maribor and FC Kobenhavn as among the easier draws from Pot 4.
Here are Manchester City’s worst case scenarios:
Real Madrid
Manchester City
Napoli
RB Leipzig
Because City are in Pot 2, they avoid the likes of Barcelona, PSG, Atletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund - but they could find themselves up against defending champions Real Madrid.
Juventus
Manchester City
Besiktas
Feyenoord
Should they draw Juventus from Pot 1, City will avoid Italian sides Napoli and Roma but could instead face a tough trip to Turkish champions Besiktas.
Bayern Munich
Manchester City
Roma
Sporting
RB Leipzig, who finished second in Bundesliga last season, appear to be the most challenging opponents from Pot 4, which could also contain Dutch champions Feyenoord and Portuguese side Sporting.
Here are City best case scenarios:
Spartak Moscow
Manchester City
FC Basel
Apoel Nicosia
The lowest ranked sides in Pot 1 (according to Uefa club coefficient rankings) are Russian champions Spartak Moscow and Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk.
Shakhtar
Manchester City
Anderlecht
Maribor
Here are Tottenham’s worst case scenarios:
Real Madrid
PSG
Tottenham
RB Leipzig
Because Spurs are in Pot 3, they will draw one team from each of Pots 1 and 2 which contain the highest-ranked teams in Europe.
That means they could face a horrible group with the likes of current holders Real Madrid (Pot 1), the super-rich PSG (Pot 2) and Bundesliga runners-up RB Leipzig from Pot 4.
Juventus
Barcelona
Tottenham
Feyenoord
Should Spurs avoid Real Madrid from Pot 1 - and draw last season's runners-up Juventus instead - that would open up Spanish sides Barcelona and Atletico from Pot 2.
Bayern Munich
Atletico
Tottenham
Sporting
They could also draw Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich from Pot 1 and the likes of Portuguese side Sporting, Russian side CSKA Moscow or Dutch champions Feyenoord from Pot 4.
Here are Tottenham's best case scenarios:
Spartak
Porto
Tottenham
Apoel
The lowest ranked sides in Pot 1 (according to Uefa club coefficient rankings) are Russian champions Spartak Moscow and Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk.
Shakhtar
Sevilla
Tottenham
Maribor
Of teams in Pot 2, Sevilla appear to be the weakest although they are notoriously difficult to beat in Europe.
Benfica
Dortmund
Tottenham
FC Kobenhavn
Pochettino will be eyeing up the likes of Slovenian side Maribor, the Danish team FC Kobenhavn and Cypriot champions Apoel Nicosia from Pot 4.
Here are Celtic’s worst case scenarios:
Real Madrid
Manchester United
Napoli
Celtic
While Celtic fans would love entertaining Zinedine Zidane's Real and Jose Mourinho's United at Parkhead, they would be up against it to glean many, if any, points in this group.
Juventus
Barcelona
Tottenham
Celtic
Celtic will be keen to avoid the humiliation they suffered at the Nou Camp last year and won't get much change out of Juventus.
Here are Celtic's best case scenarios:
Spartak
Porto
Anderlecht
Celtic
The Russian champions look like the weakest side in Pot One, Porto are formidable opponents and Celtic would feel they could trouble Anderlecht home and away.
Benfica
Sevilla
Liverpool
Celtic
How Brendan Rodgers would love to take his side to Anfield. The two games against the Reds would be special occasions. Sevilla limped through qualification and may be vulnerable and Benfica would not relish the trip to Glasgow.