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Liverpool will aim to strengthen their position as England's most successful club in European competition later this month.

And the Reds will have further reason to seal a sixth European Cup triumph when they take on Real Madrid in the final in Kiev on May 26.

Defeating the Spanish giants in the NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium would also make life an awful lot easier in next season's Champions League.

As ever, it's all about coefficients, the means by which UEFA determine the rankings of clubs in their competitions.

During the course of a season, a club is given ranking points for reaching various points of either the Champions League or Europa League, and for winning or drawing games in each competition.

The total over a rolling five-year period is determined as being a club's coefficient. The better a club do during that timescale, the higher their coefficient value, and the further up the rankings they are.

That becomes significant when seedings are determined for the various draws in the competitions.

For Liverpool, that means next season's Champions League group stage, for which they have automatically qualified by sealing fourth place in the Premier League at the weekend.

Liverpool were in Pot 3 in last season's competition.

And barring an unlikely series of events, they'll have to beat Real Madrid to avoid being in the same pot again for the group stage draw.

The first pot of eight teams has already largely been determined, containing the champions of the top six ranked national leagues – Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Manchester City, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and Lokomotiv Moscow.

The remaining two spots are for the Champions League winners, and the winners of the Europa League final winners, Atletico Madrid.

Fernando Torres was a stoppage time substitute as the Spanish club lifted the trophy for a third time.

This was good news for Liverpool, as a Marseille victory would have consigned them to Pot 3 next season regardless.

Now, they still have a chance of Pot 2.

(Image: Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)

The remaining three pots are determined entirely on UEFA coefficient – the higher a club's total, the higher the pot the club is placed in.

At present, Liverpool are ranked below 10 other teams, including Tottenham Hotspur.

That means if the Reds don't beat Real Madrid to be placed in Pot 1 they will almost certainly be in Pot 3.

The only way they can end up in Pot 2 is if:

They lose to Real Madrid in Kiev

Both Benfica and Basel, ahead of Liverpool in the coefficent rankings, fail to negotiate the qualifying rounds.

Liverpool have previous with both Benfica and Basel, with both sides eliminating the Reds from this competition in previous years.

The Reds will just have to win in Kiev to render this all redundant, then.

Although, once more, it is worth remembering their campaign this season started in... Pot 3.