The Champions League group stage draw is now complete and fans can look forward to some very exciting encounters, including a number of matchups that have provided entertainment in recent years.
Holders Chelsea will need to get the better of Juventus, Zenit and Malmo in Group H as they’ll look to defend their trophy.
Fans may well have the treat of watching Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo face off in the group stages as PSG have been drawn against Manchester City, RB Leipzig and Club Brugge in Group A.
Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol shared on air earlier today that he was told by two people that a deal to take Ronaldo back to Manchester, but to United’s rivals, is ‘done’.
Manchester United will have the opportunity to exact revenge on Villarreal after losing to them on penalties in the Europa League final as the sides make up Group F alongside Atalanta and Young Boys.
We’ll get to see some more hard-fought meetings between Liverpool and Atletico Madrid as the sides have been drawn alongside AC Milan and Porto in Group B.
Barcelona will need to outdo Bayern Munich in order to top Group E, which also features Benfica and Dynamo Kyiv.
Real Madrid are alongside Inter Milan and Shakhtar Donetsk in a group for a second consecutive season, as the trio will be joined by Moldovan outfit Sheriff Tiraspol in Group D.
Elsewhere, Sporting, Borussia Dortmund, Ajax and Besiktas will battle each other in Group C and Ligue 1 Champions Lille will contest Sevilla, RB Salzburg and Wolfsburg in Group G.
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All set for the 2021/22 season! ?
Which Champions League group are you most excited for?#UCLdraw | #UCL pic.twitter.com/gpOCzlRtOd
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) August 26, 2021
Group A certainly looks to be the ‘Group of Death’ so far, all eyes will be on the ties between Paris Saint-Germain and City – especially if it sees Messi and Ronaldo pitted against each other, but RB Leipzig have proven that they’re capable of upsetting the giants in recent years.
Groups C and G appear to be the closest on paper, all of the teams involved have a realistic chance of finishing in the top two spots so it may not be a walk in the park for the likes of Dortmund and Sevilla.