Champions League Group Stage draw – when is it, how to watch, winner odds and more!

It’s been just over a month since Bayern Munich were crowned the best team in Europe after their closely fought 1-0 win over PSG in Lisbon but already the Group Stage draw for the 2020/21 Champions League campaign is upon us.

Qualification has already been underway for some time but the Group Stage is where the Champions League proper begins. TV revenues skyrockets, interest soars and Europe’s elite teams enter the tournament.

With the Champions League Group Stage draw upon us, we’ve put together a handy guide covering all you need to know. Remember, you can also find all our analysis and betting tips on our Champions League predictions page.

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When is the Champions League draw?

The 2020/21 Champions League Group Stage draw begins at 4pm BST on Thursday 1st October and takes place at the RTS Studios in Geneva.

Where to watch the Champions League draw?

Tournament draws can often be needlessly lengthy and awkward, but if you’re in the market for a bit of Thursday evening punishment the entire ceremony can be streamed on the UEFA website.

In addition, you can also watch the Group Stage draw live on BT Sport 1, with coverage beginning at 3:45pm.

How does the Champions League draw work?

The Champions League Group Stage consists of 32 teams which will be drawn into eight groups of four teams each.

The groups are drawn from four separate pots. Pot 1 contains last season’s Champions League and Europa League winners, plus the title winners from each of Europe’s top six leagues. Pots 2, 3 and 4 contain the remaining 24 teams, which are seeded based on their UEFA coefficient.

Additionally, no team can be drawn in a group alongside a club from the same country.

Confused? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered below:

Pot 1

• Bayern Munich
• Sevilla
• Real Madrid
• Liverpool
• Juventus
• PSG
• Zenit
• Porto

Pot 2

• Barcelona
• Atletico Madrid
• Manchester City
• Manchester United
• Shakhtar Donetsk
• Borussia Dortmund
• Chelsea
• Ajax

Pot 3 or 4

• Midtjylland or Slavia Prague
• RB Salzburg or Maccabi Tel Aviv
• PAOK or Krasnodar
• Dynamo Kiev
• RB Leipzig
• Inter Milan
• Olympiakos
• Lazio
• Atalanta
• Lokomotiv Moscow
• Marseille
• Club Brugge
• Borussia Monchengladbach
• Istanbul Basaksehir
• Rennes
• Ferencvaros

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Champions League winner odds

Reigning champions Bayern Munich lead the way in the markets after their dominant season last year, while Manchester City are second favourites despite never making it to a Champions League Final. 2018/19 winners Liverpool follow closely behind, with last year’s beaten finalists PSG some way off in fourth.

Looking for an outsider? Hungarian outfit Ferencvarosi are the real underdogs at 1000/1, while Lokomotiv Mosvow, Rennes, Olympiakos and Istanbul Basaksehir are all a hefty 500/1.

• Bayern Munich – 4/1
• Manchester City – 9/2
• Liverpool – 6/1
• PSG – 10/1
• Real Madrid – 12/1
• Juventus – 14/1
• Barcelona – 16/1
• Manchester United – 25/1
• Chelsea – 25/1
• Atletico Madrid – 25/1

All odds correct as of 18:00 Wednesday, September 30 on bet365.com

Champions League 2020/21 key dates

Group Stage:

• Matchday 1 – October 20th and 21st
• Matchday 2 – October 27th and 28th
• Matchday 3 – November 3rd and 4th
• Matchday 4 – November 24th and 25th
• Matchday 5 – December 1st and 2nd
• Matchday 6 – December 8th and 9th

Round of 16:

• First leg – February 16th and 17th and February 23rd and 24th
• Second leg – March 9th and 10th and March 16th and 17th

Quarter finals:

• First leg – April 6th and 7th
• Second leg – April 13th and 14th

Semi finals:

• First leg – April 27th and 28th
• Second leg – May 4th and 5th

Final:

• May 29th at the Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul

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