When is the Champions League group stage draw ?

Goal brings you all the key details and dates ahead of the draw for the Champions League group stage, as Real Madrid get ready to defend their European crown

The draw for the 2016-17 Champions League group stage will take place in Monaco at 18:00CET on Thursday.

Reigning champions Real Madrid are the top seeds and will be joined in Pot 1 by the titleholders from the seven top-ranked European associations: Spain, Germany, England, Italy, Portugal, France and Russia.

That means that Zinedine Zidane’s men, who defeated city rivals Atletico in the final in Milan in May, cannot be drawn against Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Leicester City, Juventus, Benfica, Paris Saint-Germain or CSKA Moscow.

The second pot, meanwhile, contains Atletico, whom Real beat in last year’s final, Borussia Dortmund, Arsenal, Sevilla, Napoli, Bayer Leverkusen, Porto and Manchester City.

Thursday’s draw ceremony, which you can follow on Goal’s LIVE blog, will also include the presentation of the 2015-16 UEFA Best Player in Europe award, with Real Madrid duo Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale having been shortlisted for the prestigious prize alongside Atletico ace Antoine Griezmann.

UEFA Champions League 2016-17 Group Stage:

POT 1: Real Madrid, Barcelona, Leicester City, Bayern Munich, Juventus, Benfica, Paris Saint-Germain, CSKA Moscow
POT 2: Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Arsenal, Sevilla, Napoli, Bayer Leverkusen, Porto, Manchester City
POT 3: Tottenham Hotspur, Dynamo Kyiv, Lyon, PSV, Sporting CP, Club Brugge, Basel, Borussia Monchengladbach
POT 4: Besiktas, Monaco, Legia Warsaw, Ludogorets, Celtic, Copenhagen, Rostov, Dinamo Zagreb

Matchdays: