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Madrid, Juve highlight top seeds for next season's Champions League

Reuters / Pierre Albouy Livepic

By virtue of winning the La Liga title on Sunday, Real Madrid secured the final seed for next season's Champions League group stage.

Juventus will also remain in Pot 1 after winning a sixth consecutive Scudetto earlier in the day.

Bayern Munich, Benfica, Chelsea, Monaco, and Spartak Moscow all obtained priority status for the 2017-18 competition as the remaining champions of the top-seven European nations.

Ukrainian table-topper Shakhtar Donetsk snuck into Pot 1 because the Champions League holder, either Madrid or Juventus, will not require a spot.

Pot 2 will feature another strong selection of teams, with league runners-up Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain placed in the same group as Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City, and Porto.

Should Manchester United win the Europa League next week, it would also claim a place in Pot 2, according to ESPN FC's Dale Johnson. Sevilla could round it out if it successfully navigates the Champions League qualifying round as La Liga's fourth-placed finisher.

The picture for Pot 3 and Pot 4 will grow clearer once qualifying is concluded. At the moment, Johnson counts Liverpool, Anderlecht, Tottenham, and FC Basel as sure bets to fill Pot 3.

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