Champions League draw simulator: Liverpool get nightmare opponents as Man City given controversial tie

The Champions League draw takes place at 5pm on Thursday - and we've decided to simulate what the draw could theoretically look like.

This season's Champions League has an all-new format, with the previous number of 32 teams now increased to 36.

The traditional group stage has been scrapped and replaced by a singular league phase, with each team playing eight matches against different opponents.

There is country protection in place, meaning a team can only play a maximum of two opponents from the same league in the opening phase.

The draw will be performed largely by an AI supercomputer, with nine seeded teams included as part of the draw.

With that in mind, we've decided to load up our own AI supercomputer to do a simulated draw - and the results are fascinating.

Liverpool get a tough draw, with their opening match seeing them come up against Europa League holders Atalanta.

An away trip to Celtic would be a highlight trip for Reds supporters, while their campaign is punctuated by two nightmare fixtures on paper - Barcelona away and Bayern Munich at home.

Arsenal, meanwhile, kick off their campaign away at Sporting Lisbon - the team that knocked them out of the 2022/23 Europa League at the last 16 stage.

Juventus and Inter Milan represent tough tests, but the simulation has been relatively kind on the Gunners with fixtures against Dinamo Zagreb, Sparta Prague and Stuttgart.

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Aston Villa, who are returning to Europe's top competition for the first time since the 1982/83 European Cup, have some tough tests in store.

Unai Emery's side start the league phase against AC Milan, before a trip to Inter Milan on matchweek four.

Matchweek five sees them travel to Borussia Dortmund, before their campaign ends with another away fixture, this time at Monaco.

Manchester City, meanwhile, face Monaco in their opening fixture, before a trip to Bayern - Pep Guardiola's former side.

They then have a controversial tie against Spanish side Girona, before ending their group stage away to Atletico Madrid and then at home to Dortmund in a tough draw.

You can see the full simulation below.

CL draw simulator)

A tie against Girona would be controversial as both sides are members of the City Football Group.

Despite UEFA previously blocking two teams with the same ownership from competing in the same European competition, they have allowed City and Girona - as well as INEOS-co-owned Manchester United and Nice - to compete in the same competitions this season.