The UEFA Champions League draws for the 2020/21 season was held today, 1 October 2020, after it was switched to a behind-closed-doors event in Geneva due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and we have some interesting tie on our hands.
Six-time World Footballer of the Year, Lionel Messi, and five-time World Footballer of the Year, Cristiano Ronaldo, would square up against each other in the group stages as both Barcelona and Juventus were drawn in Group G alongside Dynamo Kiev and Ferencvaros.
The tie looks to rekindle the rivalry between both great footballers who have mesmerised the footballing world for the last decade and more.
It will also be the first time Ronaldo and Messi will face each other since the former left Real Madrid for Juventus.
One other interesting talking point from the draw seems to be the supposed ‘Group of Death’ in which French Champions and last season’s CL finalist Paris Saint Germain were pitted with Manchester United, RB Leipzig, and Istanbul Basaksehir.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his boys have only just returned to the competition and they would need to become men to be able to make it out of the group stages.
Premier League champions Liverpool also face a difficult task, with Dutch champions Ajax and last season’s quarter-finalists Atalanta joining them in Group D along with FC Midtjylland.
Manchester City, who crashed out in last season’s quarter-final stage yet again, have been drawn against Porto, Olympiakos, and Marseille.
While Chelsea will play Europa League winners Sevilla, Russian side Krasnodar and debutants Rennes in Group E.
Champions of Europe Bayern Munich will play Atletico Madrid in Group A while Real Madrid and Inter Milan are paired in Group B.
UEFA said hosting the event in its original venue in the Greek capital Athens would “violate public health restrictions and constraints regarding indoor events” in the country.
During the ceremony Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne was named Champions League men’s midfielder of the season.
“It’s really nice. In the Champions League, you play against the best players in the world and I want to compete with them,” the Belgium international says in a broadcast on the UEFA website.
Champions League Draw (Full)
Group A: Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid, Red Bull Salzburg, Lokomotiv Moscow
Group B: Real Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk, Inter Milan, Borussia Monchengladbach
Group C: Porto, Manchester City, Olympiakos, Marseille
Group D: Liverpool, Ajax, Atalanta, Midtjylland
Group E: Sevilla, Chelsea, Krasnodar, Rennes
Group F: Zenit Saint Petersburg, Borussia Dortmund, Lazio, Club Brugge
Group G: Juventus, Barcelona, Dynamo Kiev, Ferencvaros
Group H: Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, RB Leipzig, Istanbul Basaksehir
The group stages of the new Champions League season get underway in the week of 19 October, with six rounds of group games running through to mid-December.
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