Champions League draw: Everything Borussia Dortmund fans need to know
Borussia Dortmund have become ever-present fixtures in the Champions League, set for an 11th successive season in Europe's top-tier competition. Die Schwarzgelben were runners-up in 2024, but were dumped out in last season's first knockout round by Atalanta, hoping for better this time.
Well, Niko Kovač's team will commence their European campaign in less than a fortnight so, ahead of the Champions League, here is our complete guide of everything there is to know.
When is the Champions League league phase draw?
The Champions League league phase draw takes place on Thursday 27 August. It will be staged at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco, starting at 6pm (CEST) which is midday on the east coast of the United States. From expirence, no teams will actually be drawn until about half an hour in!
How can I watch the Champions League draw?
The draw is live on all your usual Champions League broadcasters around the world, including Sky Sport News HD in Germany, Paramount+ and CBS Sports Golazo in the U.S. as well as TNT Sports 1 and HBO Max in the UK.
What pot are Borussia Dortmund in for the Champions League draw?
Borussia Dortmund are currently 11th in the five-year UEFA Club Coefficent Ranking. This means they will be in pot 2, the highest-ranked side to miss out on the top pot. Nevertheless, unlike in the old group stage format, there is no tangible benefit to being in a higher pot.
Who has qualified for the Champions League league phase?
Borussia Dortmund, alongside 28 other clubs, cement their spot in the Champions League league phase at the end of last season. The remaining seven places were taken up by clubs prevailing in various play-offs on Tuesday and Wednesday this week. Thus, the 36 sides are divided into four pots, as noted below:
Pot 1
Paris Saint-Germain
Bayern Munich
Real Madrid
Liverpool
Internazionale Milano
Manchester City
Arsenal
Barcelona
Atlético Madrid
Pot 2
Borussia Dortmund
AS Roma
Sporting Clube de Portugal
Aston Villa
FC Porto
Manchester United
Club Brugge
Real Betis
PSV Eindhoven
Pot 3
Feyenoord
LOSC Lille
Bodø/Glimt
Napoli
RB Leipzig
Villarreal
Fenerbahçe
Shakhtar Donetsk
Galatasaray
Pot 4
Slavia Prague
ŠK Slovan Bratislava
VfB Stuttgart
AEK Athens
LASK
Como
Lens
Viking
Sabah
Who can Borussia Dortmund not face in the Champions League?
Borussia Dortmund cannot face their fellow Bundesliga sides, namely Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig nor VfB Stuttgart. The only other condition is that die Schwarzgelben can only take on a maximum of two teams from any other country.
So, as an example, if they are drawn alongside Barcelona and Real Madrid from pot 1, they could not then meet Real Betis nor Villarreal from a later pot.
How does the Champions League league phase draw work?
Each club will play eight matches in the league phase, four at home and four away. These will be against eight different opponents. Borussia Dortmund will welcome one team from each pot to Signal Iduna Park, as well as travelling for an away tie against one side from each pot. This will take their total up to eight matches.
The full fixture list, including dates, venues and kick off times, will be released by UEFA on Saturday morning at the latest.
Champions League 2026/27 league phase dates
League phase draw: Thursday 27 August - 6pm (CEST) start.
Matchday 1: 8-10 September.
Matchday 2: 13 & 14 October.
Matchday 3: 20 & 21 October.
Matchday 4: 3 & 4 November.
Matchday 5: 24 & 25 November.
Matchday 6: 8 & 9 December.
Matchday 7: 19 & 20 January.
Matchday 8: Wednesday 27 January.
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