Arne Slot and Mikel Arteta will have very different feelings on UCL draw

Arne Slot has been given a daunting Champions League draw for his first European campaign with Liverpool.

The six-time winners have been handed tough dates against the champions of Spain and Germany in the new-look format. Liverpool will entertain Real Madrid and they will also have a home tie against Bayer Leverkusen who are managed by former Kop favourite Xabi Alonso.

Liverpool boss Slot will also face European superpowers AC Milan in the San Siro as well as playing RB Leipzig, Lille, PSV Eindhoven, Bologna and Girona.

It looks arguably the hardest of all the ties for the four Premier League sides with the draw taking place in Monaco.

On the draw, Slot said: "The first thing to say is it is a very challenging draw but also a very exciting one and more important than anything, we are part of it – which means there is a lot to look forward to and also a lot of work to be done.

"There will be a lot of focus on the fixture against Real Madrid at Anfield, and rightly so because they are the holders of the competition, but at the same time there is so much quality among our other opponents that we will spread our attention evenly and take each game as it comes.

"PSV are a team I know really well, of course, and – like Bayer Leverkusen – they are champions of their own country, so the standard is very clear and it runs through all of the clubs that we will face. I could talk about each of them and what they will bring but the time to do that is when the fixtures come around.

"For now, we will look forward and, as I said, keep working because there are a lot of games to come in the Premier League and in the Champions League, and the only way to approach them is one at a time."

Aston Villa will face Bayern Munich with England captain Harry Kane guaranteed a big reception for the Midlands club’s first return to European football’s biggest stage since 1982/83.

That is a huge incentive for Villa boss Unai Emery whose men will also face Italian giants Juventus and Scottish champions Celtic in what will be three huge home games at Villa Park. They have also got Leipzig, Club Bruges, Young Boys, Bologna and Monaco in a dream return for former European champions Villa.

It was also a running theme of English clubs enjoying home comforts in the new format as Arsenal will face Paris Saint Germain at the Emirates.

Arsenal’s other opponents are Inter Milan (A), Shakhtar Donetsk (H), Atalanta (A), Dinamo Zagreb (H), Sporting Lisbon (A), Monaco (H) and Girona (A).

That will be a relief for Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta who led the Gunners to the Champions League quarter final stage last season. Arsenal’s only previous away game at Inter saw them win 5-1 at the San Siro in November 2003, including two goals from Thierry Henry.

Arsenal were in pot two for the draw which was conducted by former Real Madrid and Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo. That could have landed them with a much tougher path as teams will face eight games this season in the revamped Champions League.

UEFA have brought in the set-up to try and remove the dead rubbers from previous Group stages and to ensure there are more big clashes even early on before the knock-out stage.

It does mean there will be more European nights for the Premier League clubs but, despite computer and AI technology being used at the draw, the actual fixture dates will not be released until Saturday.

Premier League champions Manchester City have also been given a tough draw with three European superpowers in what could be Pep Guardiola ’s last season in charge. City will face Inter Milan at the Etihad while they will also travel to Paris Saint Germain and Juventus with their other dates against Club Brugge, Feyenoord, Sporting Lisbon, Sparta Prague and Slovan Bratislava.

Celtic face Aston Villa (A), Leipzig (H), Borussia Dortmund (A), Club Bruges (H), Atalanta (A), Young Boys (H), Dinamo Zagreb (A) and Slovan Bratislava (H). That looks another daunting draw for Celtic and a difficult pathway towards a potential knock-out campaign.

Portugal star Ronaldo, who left Europe for a money-spinning move to Saudi Arabia, was given a UEFA achievement award as he is the competition’s top scorer with 140 goals in 183 appearances. UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin said: “His extraordinary goalscoring achievements in the competition seem destined to stand the test of time, posing a remarkable challenge for future generations to surpass.

“His sustained excellence at the highest level is a testament to his relentless pursuit of both team and individual honours. Over more than two decades, he has continuously evolved and refined his game while preserving a youthful passion for scoring and celebrating goals.”