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Barcelona confirmed in pot 1 for Champions League

Barcelona are in the top Champions League pot for today’s draw, and while the new format means seedings carry less weight than in previous years, the draw still offers a glimpse into the challenges that lie ahead. It’s a chance to map out the road through Europe, size up potential rivals, and begin building momentum for a campaign that will stretch deep into the winter months.
ByJames Fudge|
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FBL-EUR-C1-BARCELONA-PRESSER | PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/GettyImages

It’s Champions League time once again, with the iconic anthem set to ring out at full volume ahead of today’s draw. Qualification is complete, all teams have been confirmed, and a few surprising names have joined the mix, most notably Kairat Almaty and Pafos FC.

The draw itself has lost a touch of its traditional intrigue under the new format. With eight opponents spread across four pots, fans can no longer dream up the classic "group of death" scenarios. Still, the league-phase expansion introduces a fresh dynamic, ensuring plenty of high-profile clashes and intriguing storylines across Europe., with a potential heavyweight clash every matchday

Barcelona, who narrowly secured a place in Pot One thanks to their UEFA coefficient of 103 (just edging out Arsenal and Bayer Leverkusen on 98), will line up alongside some of Europe’s biggest names. Pot One is stacked with the defending champions Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, Borussia Dortmund, plus Premier League powerhouses Liverpool, Manchester City, and Chelsea.

For Barcelona, two fixtures from this selection will headline their league-phase calendar. The only exclusion is Real Madrid, who, as domestic rivals, cannot be drawn against them in this stage. Even so, with the likes of PSG, Bayern, and City in the mix, Barça are set for marquee matchups that promise fireworks.

Barcelona began their 2024/25 campaign with a challenging away fixture against AS Monaco, suffering a 2-1 defeat after an early red card to Eric Garcia left them frustrated. From that point on, the team focused on steady growth throughout the league phase, remaining undefeated for the rest of the campaign.

Memorable wins over Bayern Munich, Benfica, and Borussia Dortmund stood out as highlights, and the club will hope for a similar run of fixtures this season. Ultimately, their campaign ended in the semi-finals against Inter Milan, but Barcelona will be looking to build on that strong performance in the year ahead.

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