UEFA Champions League league-phase draw set for Thursday evening

NYON, Switzerland — UEFA will hold the Champions League league-phase draw at 7 p.m. local time on Thursday, determining the eight opponents each of the 36 qualified clubs will face. The 36 teams will be distributed across four pots, with every club drawn against two opponents from each pot. Each side will play four home and four away matches, and no two clubs from the same country will be paired. Under the competition format, the eight teams finishing top of the league-phase standings will advance directly to the round of 16. Clubs placing ninth through 24th will enter a two-legged playoff for the remaining round-of-16 spots, while teams ranked 25th to 36th will be eliminated from European competition. England has five representatives in the draw: Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Aston Villa and Liverpool. Spain's five entrants are Barcelona, Real Madrid, Villarreal, Atletico Madrid and Real Betis. The draw ceremony will be broadcast live on beIN Sports.