The UEFA Champions League draw for the season 2021/22 took place yesterday in Istanbul. The likes of Juventus, Real Madrid, and PSG all lost their domestic league title and hence were drawn in the Pot 2. With many heavyweights being in Pot 2, there was potential for some intriguing fixture and that is what happened.
The group stage draw has given us some exciting contests to look forward to, with Messi facing Pep’s Man City and a Europa League final rematch in Group F between Manchester United and Villareal. The holders Chelsea will clash against Juventus in Group H. There have been rumours of Ronaldo heading to Manchester City, and if it comes true, we will see one last dance with Messi and Ronaldo facing off.
Here we take a look at the 5 takeaways from the UEFA Champions League Draw:
1. Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain clash in a tricky group
The two heavyweights and favourites for this season’s UEFA Champions League will meet in the group stage after they were drawn together. PSG has been on a roll this transfer window after signing the likes of Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos. On the other hand, Manchester City’s squad depth is second to none.
This match will be of the highest quality with all the stars in football going head-to-head. This will be an exciting watch and one to look forward to, for all the football fans. To add to it, Germany’s dark horses RB Leipzig have also been drawn in this group who could prove to be tricky opponents for the two “oil clubs”. Club Brugge, who have beaten Real Madrid in the past, complete this group and have the potential to snatch a draw.
2. AC Milan’s UCL return puts them in the Group of Death
AC Milan, one of the most successful clubs in the Champions League, were missing from the biggest competition for the last 7 seasons. The downfall of AC Milan meant the 2007 UCL Winners did not compete at the highest level. However, now they are back and have been drawn in the group of death alongside Liverpool, Atletico Madrid, and FC Porto.
Milan’s entry in Pot 4 meant that they had a higher chance of being in a tough group. Now, AC Milan, the 7 times champions, will face off against Liverpool which reminds us of the Miracle of Istanbul. Atletico Madrid and FC Porto are 2 difficult sides to play against as well. This is an evenly poised group and will be the one to watch out for.
3. Barcelona and Bayern Munich meet again
Barcelona, still recovering from the loss of their talisman Lionel Messi, have been drawn against Bayern Munich. This draw will haunt the Barcelona fans with the remainder of 8-2 thrashing in 2020. Overall, this match has been deemed as “European Royalty'', with the two teams facing off in many exciting encounters previously.
Over the two matches, Lewandowski’s Bayern will have the upper hand over Barcelona, but the sport is full of surprises. These 2 clubs will be joined in Group E by Benfica and Dynamo Kyiv who would be expected to put up a fight.
4. Group stage reunion for Real Madrid
The 13-time Champions Real Madrid had a Deja-vu kind of feeling after the draw in Istanbul yesterday. They were drawn with Inter Milan and Shakhtar Donetsk one more time after the three sides met in the group stage last time around. This time they will be joined by Sheriff Tiraspol, the Moldovan side who became the first from their country to play in the Champions League.
This group will be no pushover with Shakhtar capable of beating Real Madrid as seen last year. Inter Milan, finished 4th in this group last year so expected some surprises. Sheriff would embrace the chance of playing against European heavyweights Inter and Real Madrid and will look forward to away day travels at the historic San Siro and Santiago Bernabeu.
5. Sevilla and Dortmund fancy the chances to top the group
Sevilla and Dortmund, two of the consistent and underrated sides in the UEFA Champions League have been given a favourable draw. The Spanish side has been drawn in Group G with Lille, Salzburg, and Wolfsburg. It is an evenly poised group but Sevilla, due to their experience at the highest level, will be expected to top the group.
The Black and Yellows, Dortmund, have been drawn in Group C with Ajax, Sporting Lisbon, and Besiktas. Haaland and Co. will be the favourites to top the group. However, this is yet another group where all the 4 sides are finely balanced with no particular weakness.
The draws are over and the Champions League is set to kick-off its 2021/22 season. The 32 teams will battle it out for a place in the final at Petersburg and it will be exciting to see how the season pan out.
