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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Connor Dunn

Liverpool may face Barcelona or Atletico Madrid reunion in Champions League as seeding explained

Liverpool face a possible reunion with Atletico Madrid in the Champions League group stages next season after being put to the sword by Diego Simeone's side during this season's round of 16 stage.

There's also a chance the Reds could face Barcelona - whom they have a fond memories of playing at Anfield - or they might face Jurgen Klopp's old side Borussia Dortmund.

As ever, it's all about coefficients, the means by which UEFA determine the rankings of clubs in their competitions.

During the course of a season, a club is given ranking points for reaching various points of either the Champions League or Europa League, and for winning or drawing games in each competition.

The total over a rolling five-year period is determined as being a club's coefficient. The better a club do during that timescale, the higher their coefficient value, and the further up the rankings they are.

That becomes significant when seedings are determined for the various draws in the competitions.

For Liverpool, that means Pot 1 for next season's Champions League group stage, for which they automatically qualified by sealing Premier League victory.

This website offers an excellent guide to coefficients and seedings of the Champions League and Europa League - and it shows 25 teams having confirmed their spot in the CL group stages next term and which pots they will be in.

What is still unknown is which teams will qualify through playoffs and who will enter next year's competition as the Champions League and Europa League title holders - achievements that automatically put a team into Pot 1 of the draw - so a number of teams may move (as denoted by an asterisk on the image above).

The draw takes place later than usual, due to the impact of COVID-19, on October 1 and the initial matches will get underway on October 20 and October 21.

As mentioned, there are still a number of games still to be played and the final set of group stage teams still to be decided, however, here is a list of who Liverpool could draw from each pot...

Who could Liverpool draw from Pot 2?

Barcelona, Atletico Madrid or Borussia Dortmund

Sevilla or Shaktar - though either could still win the Europa League and be moved into Pot 1

Who could Liverpool draw in Pot 3?

It is possible for the Reds to meet RB Leipzig, Lazio or Inter Milan from this pot depending on what happens elsewhere.

Porto, meanwhile, could drop into Pot 3 should say Inter Milan win the Europa League.

Benfica, RB Salzburg, Olympiacos and Ajax still need to qualify as do Dynamo Kiyv but all are a possibility.

Who could Liverpool draw in Pot 4?

There is a chance to play Celtic, Club Brugge, Lokomotiv Moscow or Istanbul Basaksehir from Pot 4.

However, Atalanta, Olympic Marseille and Borussia Monchengladbach are all set to be involved here.

* Take our LFC summer transfer survey HERE.

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