October 2 – European champions Bayern Munich were handed a kind draw in the Champions League with Atletico Madrid, Salzburg and Lokomotiv Moscow, but all eyes will be on the clash between Messi’s FC Barcelona and Juventus’ Cristiano Ronaldo.
In August, Munich were crowned continental champions for a sixth time after defeating Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 in the final in Lisbon behind closed doors. The Germans have landed in a favorable group to begin their title defense, with Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid likely to be the strongest opponent in Group A. Bayern should have no problems overcoming both Salzburg and Lokomotiv Moscow.
Elsewhere, in a drawn-out ceremony that named Robert Lewandowski and Pernille Harder as UEFA players of the year, FC Barcelona and Juventus were paired together in Group G, alongside Dynamo Kiev and Ferencvaros. The double header between the heavyweights will reunite Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who were antagonists previously in La Liga.
Last summer’s losing finalists PSG will play familiar faces RB Leipzig, a semi-finalist, Manchester United and debutants İstanbul Basaksehir. The Parisians rank as favourites, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team given a tough task to progress.
United’s crosstown rivals Manchester City will have been pleased with the draw that saw them grouped with Porto, Olympiacos and Marseille. Group C should not represent a problem for the team of Pep Guardiola, who is yet to win the European Cup with his English club.
Liverpool, who won the competition in 2019, will face Ajax Amsterdam for the first time in 54 years. Jurgen Klopp’s team were also given trips to Atalanta Bergamo and FC Midtjylland.
The Champions League group stage kicks off on October 20, with the final scheduled at the end of May in Istanbul. Last season, the Turkish capital was temporarily stripped of its hosting rights for the flagship match because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The draw
Group A: Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid, FC Salzburg, Lokomotiv Moscow
Group B: Real Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk, Inter Milan, Borussia Monchengladbach
Group C: Porto, Manchester City, Olympiacos, Marseille
Group D: Liverpool, Ajax, Atalanta, FC Midtjylland
Group E: Sevilla, Chelsea, Krasnodar, Rennes
Group F: Zenit St Petersburg, Borussia Dortmund, Lazio, Club Brugge
Group G: Juventus, Barcelona, Dynamo Kiev, Ferencvaros
Group H: Paris St Germain, Manchester United, RB Leipzig, İstanbul Basaksehir