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Pots and seeding for Champions League group-stage draw

Geneva - England aims to revive a fading record in the Champions League with five teams in the group-stage draw for the first time on Thursday.

Liverpool's advance through the playoffs Wednesday means it joins top-seeded Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United, plus Tottenham in the 32-team draw in Monaco. Manchester United enters as Europa League winner after placing only sixth in the Premier League.

Chelsea's 2012 Champions League title is the only English win in nine seasons and an era of all-Premier League semifinals has passed.

Now, Liverpool and Tottenham risk landing in a blockbuster four-team group as both will be drawn from the pot of third-seeded teams.

A powerful pot of second-seeded teams -- who did not win their national league -- features five of the eight teams highest-ranked by UEFA. They include Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain.

Real Madrid heads top-seeded clubs as the two-time defending champion, and fourth straight Champions League winner from Spain. Madrid is joined by Juventus, Bayern Munich and other winners of Europe's eight highest-ranked national leagues.

The draw will take place at 18:00 (SA time).

Pot 1: Real Madrid (ESP/champions), Bayern Munich (GER), Juventus (ITA), Benfica (POR), Chelsea (ENG), Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR), Monaco (FRA), Spartak Moscow (RUS)

Pot 2: Barcelona (ESP), Atletico Madrid (ESP), Paris Saint-Germain (FRA), Borussia Dortmund (GER), Sevilla (ESP), Manchester City (ENG), Porto (POR), Manchester United (ENG)

Pot 3: Anderlecht (BEL), Basel (SUI), Besiktas (TUR), Napoli (ITA), Olympiakos (GRE), Roma (ITA), Tottenham (ENG), plus one more

Pot 4: Glasgow (SCO/possibly in pot 3), Maribor (SLO), Feyenoord (NED), RB Leipzig (GER), plus four more teams

Group stage fixtures:

Matchday 1: September 12-13

Matchday 2: September 26-27

Matchday 3: October 17-18

Matchday 4: October 31-November 1

Matchday 5: November 21-22

Matchday 6: December 5-6

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