Reader TTS

MANCHESTER CITY HAVE LEARNED THE MAJORITY OF THE OPPONENTS THEY COULD FACE IN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE NEXT SEASON 04:45, 30 May 2025 Manchester City had to wait until the final day of the

season but the Blues did ultimately secure a return to the Champions League. It had looked precarious at one stage as Pep Guardiola's side faltered badly in the winter, but ultimately a

2-0 win at Fulham proved more than enough for a top five spot. It means City will be back in Europe's elite competition for the 15th consecutive campaign. They made an early exit this

season, losing to Real Madrid in the play-off round, and will hope to improve on that showing in 2025-26. They will discover their eight opponents in the 36-team league phase when the draw

is made in August. But 29 of those sides are now confirmed and who City can and cannot play is becoming clearer. The Blues are in pot one for the draw, meaning they will avoid European

big-hitters such as Real Madrid and Barcelona, this season's finalists PSG and Inter Milan, and German duo Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. Liverpool and Chelsea are also in pot

one. Fellow English qualifiers Arsenal, Tottenham and Newcastle are currently in pots two, three and four subject to the final line-up being confirmed but teams cannot play rivals from the

same domestic league either so City won't face another English side in the league phase. Article continues below Seven sides are confirmed to be in pot two, including the Gunners, with

Spurs and PSV Eindhoven in line to join them depending on whether any clubs with a higher co-efficient ranking make it through qualifying. City will face two sides from each of the other

pots, and can face a maximum of two teams from the same country. Confirmed in pot two are German duo Bayer Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt, Serie A pair Atalanta and Juventus and Spanish

sides Atletico Madrid and Villarreal with City almost certain to play at least one of those six. But it's further down the ranking list where there is the most intrigue. Napoli claimed

the Serie A title on a dramatic final day in Italy and will be in pot three for the draw. The Italian champions have been strongly linked with a move for Kevin De Bruyne, who has departed

the Etihad after a glittering decade at City. Should the Belgian complete a move to Naples, it raises the prospect of an early reunion for the 33-year-old with his former employers. De

Bruyne returning to the Etihad for a competitive fixture would be a significant narrative of the Champions League and would be compelling viewing. The other confirmed pot three teams are

Ajax, Sporting Lisbon, Olympiacos, Slavia Prague and Marseille. Newcastle United and Athletic Bilbao will be in pot four while Monaco, Galatasaray and Belgian newcomers Union Saint-Gilloise

will be in either pot three or four depending on the outcome of qualifying. Article continues below The likes of Celtic, Rangers, Benfica, Feyenoord and Club Brugge are all involved in

qualifying ties for a spot in the league phase.