Champions League draw: What awaits Celtic & Rangers in group stage?
- Published
It's been a long five years without a Scottish representative in the Champions League group stage. And an even longer, 15-year wait, since two took part in the same season.
But that interlude is now over, Rangers beating PSV Eindhoven to join city rivals Celtic among the continent's elite.
With the draw on Thursday, let's explain how it works and look ahead at what is potentially ahead for both Glasgow clubs. Spoiler alert: A lot of teams that are very good at football lie in wait...
How does it work?
You know how these things usually go… a lot of talking, a lot of random awards given out, and a host of legendary ex-players on stage awkwardly trying to crack open small plastic balls.
Thursday's draw in Istanbul - where this season's final will be played - will most likely be no different. What we know for certain, though, is 32 teams will feature.
Of those, 26 were given direct entry to the group stage, which of course included Celtic. A further six came through the play-off qualifiers, with Benfica, Maccabi Haifa, Viktoria Plzen, FC Copenhagen and Dinamo Zagreb all joining Rangers.
The teams are split into four seeding pots - more on that below - with a club from each making up eight groups of four. Celtic and Rangers will both be in Pot 4. So no European Old Firm derbies… yet.
Clear enough? Magic. Let's get to the juicy stuff…
Pot 1: The big guns
It's no big deal, honestly. It's just made up of the Champions League winners Real Madrid, the English, Italian, German, French, Portuguese and Dutch champions. Oh aye, and Europa League winners Eintracht Frankfurt.
Celtic captain Callum McGregor said last week how the fans of the Parkhead club would most perhaps most favour being drawn with the reigning champions Real. The Spanish giants would certainly provide two stern tests for either Old Firm side, but also two glamour occasions, as would Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan and Manchester City.
On paper, Ajax, Eintracht and Porto - a club Rangers took four points off in the 2019-20 Europa League - would perhaps be the more favourable options, but that takes nothing away from the calibre of each side.
Pot 2: More big guns
You know what, this lot might be even more daunting. Even if Celtic and Rangers can manage to get one of the 'weaker' top tier teams, they could still be landed with a Liverpool, Chelsea, Barcelona or Juventus.
And even if they miss those, one of Atletico Madrid, Sevilla, RB Leipzig and Tottenham would be coming to Glasgow. No easy games, and all that.
Pot 3: Even more big guns
So, this is getting to be a bit of a theme now. Another pot, another rash of right good sides.
How about Borussia Dortmund? Benfica? Inter Milan? Bayer Leverkusen? Not fancy any of those? Well what about Napoli, Sporting CP, RB Salzburg or Shakhtar Donetsk?
Some might prove less vexing than others and, bear in mind, both Celtic and Rangers have decent recent records themselves. But regardless, when the balls are plucked from the bowls and the wee bits of paper unfurled, excitement is guaranteed.