With club football kicked off across Europe, Goal takes a look at the key dates regarding this year's Champions League group stage draw This year's Champions League group stage is set to begin soon, with the last remaining play-off fixtures still being played. Real Madrid are holders of the competition and would be looking to register a spectacular fourth straight title, having won their third in a row after beating Liverpool this past May. Chelsea will sit out participating in the competition along with Arsenal, while the likes of Bayern Munich, Juventus, Manchester United and Barcelona will be pushing to win the tournament. Goal brings you everything you need to know about the Champions League group stage draw, including when and where it takes place, how to watch it live and more. What is the 2018-19 Champions League group draw? This year's Champions League group stage draw will determine the 32 teams will competing in the group stage, drawn into eight separate groups with the top two from each group making up the 16 teams in the knockout stage of the competition. The 26 teams who won direct entry to the group stage under new competition rules will be joined by the six winners of the play-off ties, played between August 21 and 28. The teams will be split into four seeding pots. Pot 1 will consist of the holders (Real Madrid), the UEFA Europa League winners (Atletico Madrid) and the champions of the six highest-ranked nations (Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and Lokomotiv Moscow). Pots 2 to 4 are then determined by the club coefficient rankings. You can view a full list of qualified teams here. No team is allowed to play a club from their own association, while the exact procedure for the draw will be confirmed before the ceremony. The Champions League draw will also establish the groups for the UEFA Champions League path of the UEFA Youth League. When is the 2018-19 Champions League draw? This year's Champions League group stage draw will take place on August 30 at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco. How to watch the 2018-19 Champions League live on TV In the United States (US) the group stage draw can watched live on television through TNT. It will also be streamed live online using Watch TNT or B/R Live. US TV channel Online stream TNT Watch TNT / B/R Live In the United Kingdom (UK), the group stage can be watched live on TV on BT Sport and it will be streamed live online using the BT Sport app. UK TV channel Online stream BT Sport BT Sport app Who won last season's Champions League? Article continues below Real Madrid are the holders of the trophy after defeating Liverpool 3-1 in the 2017-18 final, held in Kiev. The win was marked Spanish side's third consecutive Champions League title and 13th in total. Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema both scored in the final to claim the crown after Sergio Ramos brutally clashed with Liverpool star Mohamed Salah early in the first half to force the Egyptian striker off with an injury. The Champions League win, however, marked the exit of Zinedine Zidane as manager as well as the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus.<doc-sep>Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window) Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) The draws for both the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League playoff rounds has been made. For Premier League side Burnley, they will face the winner of Olympiacos and Luzern if they get past Turkish side Istanbul Basaksehir in the third qualifying round of the Europa League. [ MORE: Champions League scores ] Sean Dyche‘s men are still four games away from securing their spot in the Europa League group stage for 2018/19 after they edged by Aberdeen in the second qualifying round. Scottish champions Celtic will play the winner of Malmo or Vidi for a place in the UCL group stage if they get by Greek giants AEK Athens in the third qualifying round, with Brendan Rodgers‘ men aiming to make the group stage for a third-straight season. Steven Gerrard‘s Glasgow Rangers will face FC Ufa or Progres of Luxembourg in the playoff round of the Europa League if they get past Maribor. [ MORE: Europa League schedule ] Below is the draw for the UCL and Europa League playoff rounds in full. Champions League playoff draw Champions path Crvena zvezda (SRB)/Spartak Trnava (SVK) v Salzburg (AUT)/Shkendija (MKD) Qarabag (AZE)/BATE Borisov (BLR) v PSV Eindhoven (NED) Young Boys (SUI) v Astana (KAZ)/Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) Malmo (SWE)/Vidi (HUN) v Celtic (SCO)/AEK Athens (GRE) League path Benfica (POR)/Fenerbahce (TUR) v PAOK (GRE)/Spartak Moskva (RUS) Standard Liege (BEL)/Ajax (NED) v Slavia Praha (CZE)/Dynamo Kyiv (UKR) The playoffs set to take place on 21/22 and 28/29 August. The losing teams from the UCL playoff round transfer to the UEFA Europa League group stage. Europa League playoff draw Olimpija Ljubljana (SVN)/HJK Helsinki (FIN) v Crvena zvezda (SRB)/Spartak Trnava (SVK) Hapoel Beer-Sheva (ISR)/ APOEL (CYP) v Astana (KAZ)/Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) Cork City (IRL)/Rosenborg (NOR) v Salzburg (AUT)/Shkendija (MKD) Legia Warszawa (POL)/ F91 Dudelange (LUX) v Alashkert (ARM)/CFR Cluj (ROU) Spartaks Jurmala (LVA)/Sūduva (LTU) v Celtic (SCO)/AEK Athens (GRE) Sheriff (MDA)/Valur Reykjavik (ISL) v Qarabag (AZE)/BATE Borisov (BLR) Malmo (SWE)/Vidi (HUN) v The New Saints (WAL)/Midtjylland (DEN) Torpedo Kutaisi (GEO)/Kukës (ALB) v Ludogorets Razgrad (BUL)/Zrinjski (BIH) Sigma Olomouc (CZE)/Kairat Almaty (KAZ) v Sevilla (ESP)/Zalgiris Vilnius (LTU) Sarpsborg (NOR)/HNK Rijeka (CRO) v Pyunik (ARM)/Maccabi Tel-Aviv (ISR) Jagiellonia Bialystok (POL)/Gent (BEL) v Mariupol (UKR)/Bordeaux (FRA) Nordsjaelland (DEN)/Partizan (SRB) v Besiktas (TUR)/LASK (AUT) Slovan Bratislava (SVK)/Rapid Wien (AUT) v Hajduk Split (CRO)/FCSB (ROU) Apollon Limassol (CYP)/Dinamo Brest (BLR) v Vitesse (NED)/Basel (SUI) Rangers (SCO)/Maribor (SVN) v Hapoel Haifa (ISR)/Atalanta (ITA) Nordsjaelland (DEN)/Partizan (SRB) v CSKA Sofia (BUL)/Kobenhavn (DEN) Dinamo Minsk (BLR)/Zenit (RUS) v Hibernian (SCO)/Molde (NOR) Trencin (SVK)/Feyenoord (NED) v Sturm Graz (AUT)/AEK Larnaca (CYP) Genk (BEL)/Lech Poznan (POL) v Spartak Subotica (SRB)/Brøndby (DEN) Olympiacos (GRE)/Luzern (SUI) v Istanbul Basaksehir (TUR)/ Burnley (ENG) Zorya Luhansk (UKR)/Braga (POR) v RB Leipzig (GER)/U Craiova (ROU) The playoffs set to take place on 23 and 30 August Follow @JPW_NBCSports<doc-sep>When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. How was the draw made? The layout of the draw sees two sides entering the stage from the Champions Path to be joined by the six victors from the third qualifying round (League Path). The losers from both paths enter the group stage of the Europa League. Celtic are one win away from this round and face Malmo (Sweden) OR MOL Vidi (Hungary) should they beat AEK Athens. Liverpool fans will be keeping a keen eye on Portuguese giants Benfica. If the Portuguese side are knocked out by either Fenerbahce or their play-off opponents, then the Reds move into Pot 2. Should the Eagles soar, then it’ll be Pot 3 and a tougher draw for last year’s finalists. When will the games be played? The two-legged ties will take place on August 21 and 22, with the second legs a week later on August 28 and 29. The winners will go through to the group stage, with the draw taking place in Monaco on Thursday August 30. Teams who do not qualify will go through to the draw for the Europa League, also held in Monaco but on August 31.<doc-sep>CELTIC are aiming to qualify for the Champions League group stage for the third season running. And they are about to find out who they will face in the playoff round, should they progress past AEK Athens. 1 Brendan Rodgers has never lost a Champions League qualifying tie over two legs Credit: Kenny Ramsay - The Sun Glasgow What time is the Champions League playoff round draw? The Champions League playoff round draw will take place on Monday, August 6. It will commence at 11am UK time. What TV channel is the Champions League playoff round draw on and can I live stream it? The Champions League draw will be live on BT Sport 2 from 11am. You can also live stream it on the BT Sport App, BTSport.com or uefa.com. Who can Celtic face in the Champions League playoff round? Celtic are seeded for the Champions League playoff round. That means if they beat AEK Athens they will face one of the following sides: Qarabag or BATE Borisov Young Boys Malmo or MOL Vidi Red Star Belgrade or Spartak Trnava When is Celtic vs AEK Athens? Celtic host AEK Athens in the first leg on the Third qualifying round on Wednesday, August 8 at 7.45pm. The second leg in Greece will follow six days later on Tuesday, August 14 at 7pm.<doc-sep>
FABRICE COFFRINI/Getty Images Celtic will play either Malmo or Vidi in the 2018-19 UEFA Champions League play-off round if they get through the third qualifying round against AEK Athens. Meanwhile, the winners of Benfica and Fenerbahce will take on PAOK or Spartak Moscow, as those who progress through the qualifiers compete for the final six places in the group stage of this year's tournament. Here are all the play-off fixtures: Crvena Zvezda/Spartak Trnava vs. Red Bull Salzburg/Shkendija Qarabag FK/BATE Borisov vs. PSV Eindhoven Young Boys vs. Astana/Dinamo Zagreb Malmo FF/Vidi FC vs. Celtic/AEK Athens Benfica/Fenerbahce vs. PAOK/Spartak Moscow Standard Liege/Ajax vs. Slavia Prague/Dynamo Kiev The play-offs will take place after the third qualifying round, with the first legs commencing on Tuesday 21 and Wednesday 24 of August and the second legs a week later. The final qualifying round will be played on the August 7 and 8 and then conclude on August 14. Defeat in the qualifying round will put an end to the losers' Champions League hopes, but they could still find a place in the UEFA Europa League, as they'll enter the play-off for that competition instead. Here's a look at who Celtic could face should they fail to get past AEK, per BBC Sport's Alasdair Lamont: Video Play Button Videos you might like The Bhoys will be hoping to get past the Greek side to set up a trip to Sweden or Hungary, though. Vidi have never made it past the qualifying rounds before, so Malmo are perhaps a more likely opponent in the play-off. That could represent a tricky tie for the Scottish champions, who were defeated 4-3 on aggregate in the play-off by the Swedish outfit in 2015. Celtic have reached the Champions League group stage in each of the last two seasons under manager Brendan Rodgers, though, so they'll feel confident of doing so again. Those that progress to the play-off round are guaranteed European football this season—win and they'll be in the group stage of the Champions League, lose and they'll be in the group stage for the Europa League.