Istanbul:
The draw was announced here on Thursday evening when Manchester City teamed up with Paris Saint-Germain in Group A as the French giants are expected to be strengthened by the presence of Argentine star Lionel Messi.
Defending champions Chelsea face Juventus in Group G while Liverpool face AC Milan in Group B.
The group stage competition starts on September 14th and ends on December 8th. The final will take place on May 28th in St. Petersburg, Russia.
The German club RB Leipzig has also slipped into the fascinating Group A with Manchester City and PSG.
While Leipzig’s realistic goal can only be third place in the group, which qualifies for the Euro League, the reigning German champions Bayern Munich, German cup winners Borussia Dortmund and VfL Wolfsburg can be optimistic about surviving their groups.
The draw gives German football a chance to demonstrate its international resilience despite the huge investments made by other European leagues such as the Premier League, La Liga, Ligue 1 and Serie A.
Despite falling revenues due to the Covid-19 pandemic – English clubs spent more than a billion euros – the German league is the only top European league to achieve a transfer surplus this summer.
The sensible spending policy of the Bundesliga could be at the expense of international success and reputation, but it ensures the clubs’ financial stability. Bayern remain the only club believed to have a chance of reaching the quarter-finals.
Leipzig may not only face Messi, but also Cristiano Ronaldo. According to English media reports, Juve’s Portuguese star is in advanced negotiations with Man City.
The expectations of Bayern’s new coach Julian Nagelsmann do not go far to speak of a child’s game when he meets the swaying Spanish giants FC Barcelona alongside Benfica and Dynamo Kiev.
“We face Barcelona without Messi. It will be a new Barca, but still a squad full of top-class players. We want to finish the group first despite some difficult problems,” said Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic.
For another German club from Dortmund, the group’s favorite role in crossing swords with Sporting, Ajax and Besiktas is within reach. The black and yellow star striker Erling Haaland was named Striker of the Year in the UEFA Champions League for the 2020/21 season. The Norwegian striker scored 10 goals in eight games.
Dortmund’s CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke spoke of “good chances for us” to get into the round of 16 against a group without favorites. “We can’t complain about the large number of very strong clubs,” said Watzke.
The tie
Group A: Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, Leipzig, Club Bruges
Group B: Atletico Madrid, Liverpool, Porto, AC Milan
Group C: Sporting Lisbon, Borussia Dortmund, Ajax, Besiktas
Group D: Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk, Sheriff Tiraspol
Group E: Bayern, Barcelona, Benfica, Dynamo Kiev
Group F: Villarreal, Manchester United, Atalanta, Young Boys
Group G: Lille, Seville, Salzburg, Wolfsburg
Group H: Chelsea, Juventus, Zenit, Malmo.