Champions League 2015-16 Seedings: Round-Up of Qualified Teams for Next Season

Both Real Madrid and Arsenal could face tricky opponents in the Champions League group stages in 2015-16 after the pair dropped to Pot 2 in the seedings due to UEFA rule changes.

The rules for next season's competition see the champions of the top seven leagues in Europe placed in Pot 1 along with the reigning Champions League winner.

As Juventus and Barcelona—this year's Champions League finalists, which Bleacher Report's Alex Dimond examines below—have both already won their respective domestic leagues, the eighth Pot 1 spot goes to PSV Eindhoven as champions of Europe's eighth-best league, the Eredivisie:

Real's failure to win the La Liga title this season—confirmed on Sunday as Barca beat Atletico Madrid 1-0—and their Wednesday elimination from the Champions League means they drop to Pot 2. They could thus be drawn in a group with one of Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Juventus or Paris Saint-Germain. 

Here is the projected list of seeded teams for Pots 1 and 2 in the 2015-16 Champions League, per Oliver Todd on MailOnline:

Pot 1	Pot 2
Barcelona	Real Madrid
Bayern Munich	Atletico Madrid
Chelsea	Porto
Juventus	Arsenal
Paris St-Germain	Manchester City
Zenit St Petersburg	Manchester United*
PSV Eindhoven	Valencia*
Benfica	Bayer Leverkusen*

*likely face a play-off to qualify for group stages

Barcelona	Dynamo Kiev
Chelsea	Olympiakos
Bayern Munich	Manchester City
Juventus	Real Madrid
Benfica	Wolfsburg
PSG	Borussia Monchengladbach
Zenit St Petersburg	Porto
PSV Eindhoven	Lyon

Arsenal have been perennial top seeds over the last decade but now drop into Pot 2, having failed to win the Premier League title, per Press Association (via the Guardian).

Manchester United will also be unfamiliar with the lower seeding, as they return to the competition after a year away from the Champions League.

The Red Devils are likely to have to go through a play-off round to reach the group stages after Sunday's 1-1 draw with Arsenal put the Gunners in the driving seat to finish third in the Premier League table.

Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

Old Trafford boss Louis van Gaal is taking nothing for granted, as he knows how perilous the qualifying stages can be for the team that finishes fourth, per David Wright in the Express:

"

We have to play in the round to qualify because we have not yet qualified for the Champions League. It is always stressful as you can meet opponent who is halfway through a season already. It is not so easy. I am satisfied we have set our goal and reached that. From what I have seen of the fans they are pleased. But I want more as manager. Next year we will fight for more.

"

Porto were unable to keep their hopes alive of a Portuguese championship and a Pot 1 spot on Sunday, as their 1-1 draw with Belenenses handed Benfica the title, per Champions League:

Manchester City can feel somewhat aggrieved that they were not the beneficiaries of the rule change as champions of England last season.

Once again, they were seeded in Pot 2 despite winning the 2013-14 Premier League and drew a tough group with Roma, Bayern Munich and CSKA Moscow.

A similarly tough challenge could be on their hands again in the coming season.

The prospect of the likes of United, City, Real, Porto and Arsenal being in Pot 2 sets up some potentially barnstorming groups for next season.

Barca, PSG, Chelsea et al in Pot 1 will be eager to avoid the other big guns, but the potential for early upsets in Europe's premier competition is more likely than ever.