Manchester City will continue their quest to claim a maiden Champions League title this season, but face the potential task of attempting to emerge from the group stage alongside one of Europe’s big heavyweight sides.
Following their failure to hold on to the Premier League, City drop down to the second pot ahead of Thursday’s Champions League group stage draw, meaning they risk being grouped with the likes of Real Madrid, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and reigning European champions Bayern Munich.
City have made no secret of their desire to conquer Europe, and with Pep Guardiola set to begin his fifth Champions League campaign with the English club, the pressure is on the Spaniard to deliver what is desired most at the Etihad Stadium.
Along with one of the pot one heavyweights, City will also meet a team from pot three and pot four, with a number of tricky ties potentially lying in wait for Guardiola’s side. Last season’s semi-finalists RB Leipzig are among the big-hitters in pot three, along with Serie A duo Inter Milan and Atalanta, while Lokomotiv Moscow and Marseille will pose difficult challenges in pot four.
Who could Manchester City face in the Champions League?
Pot one: Bayern Munich, Sevilla, Real Madrid, Juventus, PSG, Zenit St Petersburg, FC Porto
Pot three: Dynamo Kyiv, Red Bull Salzburg, RB Leipzig, Inter Milan, Olympiacos, Lazio, Krasnodar, Atalanta
Pot four: Lokomotiv Moscow, Marseille, Club Brugge, Borussia Monchengladbach, Istanbul Basaksehir, Rennes, Ferencvaros
Best-case scenario
FC Porto, Manchester City, Krasnodar, Ferencvaros
Worst-case scenario
Bayern Munich, Manchester City, Inter Milan, Marseille
