Champions League schedule tiers, ranked: Real Madrid, Man City have it easy; PSG face tough path in new format
CBSN
The new-look UEFA Champions League draw provided some surprising matchups
The UEFA Champions League may have a new format but the luck of the draw is a constant, as Thursday's first-of-its-kind league phase draw proved for the 36 teams taking part in this season's competition.
The new format means every team will have at least one marquee matchup during the league phase but even then, some teams came out of the draw happier than others. A handful of European heavyweights came out of the draw fairly unscathed, including two teams who arguably did not need the help -- Real Madrid and Manchester City, the favorites to win this season's competition.
For most, though, the draw offered up a combination of must-win games and ones in which the odds are stacked against them, the balance more harsh for some than others. That includes Paris Saint-Germain, who drew some of the best teams in both Pot 1 and Pot 2 and will have much to prove as they begin to chart life after Kylian Mbappe.
