Champions League group stage full draw: Liverpool set for Rangers clash as British clubs learn fate

Liverpool face an all-British clash in their UEFA Champions League group stage after being drawn against Glaswegian giants Rangers.

The Gers booked their place in the competition for the first time in 12 years with a play-off win over PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday night, and have been rewarded with a mouth-watering double header against Jurgen Klopp’s side.

Rounding out Group A are Dutch champions Ajax, and Serie A outfit Napoli.

The last time Liverpool came up against Ajax was in the 2020/21 group stage, with both of those clashes ending in a 1-0 win for Klopp’s men.

The Reds were drawn with Napoli the season prior, but managed to take just one point from two matches against the Italians, losing 2-1 away from home, and drawing 1-1 at Anfield.

Elsewhere in the draw, Manchester City were drawn in Group G alongside Sevilla, Borussia Dortmund, and FC Copenhagen, while Chelsea will face Serie A champions AC Milan, Austrian side FC Salzburg, and Croatian outfit Dinamo Zagreb.

The final representative are Tottenham Hotspur, who will have to get past Eintracht Frankfurt, Sporting CP, and Olympique Marseille to book their place in the knockout rounds.

Scottish champions Celtic also learnt their fate, and will have to contend with defending champions Real Madrid, Bundesliga side RB Leipzig, and Shakhtar Donetsk of Ukraine.

Here’s everything you need to know about the draw...

What is the full UEFA Champions League group stage 2022 draw?

The full UEFA Champions League group stage draw is as follows:

• Group A - Ajax, Liverpool, Napoli, Rangers
• Group B - FC Porto, Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Club Brugge
• Group C - Bayern Munich, FC Barcelona, Inter Milan, Viktoria Plzen
• Group D - Eintracht Frankfurt, Tottenham Hotspur, Sporting CP, Olympique Marseille
• Group E - AC Milan, Chelsea, FC Salzburg, Dinamo Zagreb
• Group F - Real Madrid, RB Leipzig, Shakhtar Donetsk, Celtic
• Group G - Manchester City, Sevilla, Borussia Dortmund, FC Copenhagen
• Group H - Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus, Benfica, Maccabi Haifa

When will the UEFA Champions League group stage 2022 matches be played?

The full fixture list for the group stage will be revealed in the coming, but UEFA have already confirmed the dates on which matchdays will take place.

They are as follows:

• Matchday 1: September 6/7
• Matchday 2: September 13/14
• Matchday 3: October 4/5
• Matchday 4: October 11/12
• Matchday 5: October 25/26
• Matchday 6: November 1/2

When is the draw for the UEFA Champions League round of 16?

Liverpool will be hopeful of making it to the knockout stages of the competition once again this year, and if they do, they will learn their fate on November 7.

The draw will be held in Nyon, Switzerland.

What is the schedule for the UEFA Champions League 2022?

The full schedule for the knockout rounds of this year’s Champions League are as follows:

• Round of 16: February 14/15/21/22 & March 7/8/14/15, 2023
• Quarter-finals: April 11/12 & 18/19, 2023
• Semi-finals: May 9/10 & 16/17, 2023
• Final: June 10, 2023

This season’s Champions League final will take place at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, which was the venue for Liverpool’s famous comeback victory over AC Milan in 2005.