The full line-up for the UEFA Champions League group stage was unveiled on Thursday with six play-off winners joining the 26 direct entrants.
Lionel Messi and his new club Paris St-Germain are slated to play Manchester City – managed by his former Barcelona coach and mentor Pep Guardiola – after the two were drawn for a face-off in Group A.
The draw pits two of European football’s most affluent teams on the planet against each other once again as they both seek their elusive, first Champions League title, with City having boasting honors in beating the French side 4-1 on aggregate in last season’s semis.
However, City were unable to sustain their momentum and proceeded to lose the thrilling final to Premier League rivals Chelsea, who were drawn in Group H against Juventus, Zenit St Petersburg and Malmo.
On record, City have yet to lose to PSG in the Champions League but the glaring fact remains that Messi at the helm in Barcelona in the past has also scored more goals against them – six in six games – than any other side has in the competition. This undoubtedly warrants serious attention on the Etihad side, especially for Pep Guardiola.
The former Barcelona talisman and skipper was ceremoniously heralded and warmly welcomed when he joined the French club after leaving Barcelone, and the Park des Princes club will also face Bundesliga side RB Leipzig and Belgium’s Brugge.
“After the Porto, Liverpool, Atletico Madrid group, our group is probably the second most difficult one,” said City’s director of football Txiki Begiristain.
“Some of the big names in football are going to be out. That is the magnitude of this competition.”
Last season’s La Liga champions Atletico Madrid and Liverpool were drawn in Group B with former winners Porto and AC Milan, while Real Madrid play Inter Milan, as well as Shakhtar Donetsk playing Moldovan debutants, Sheriff Tiraspol, in Group D.
Liverpool and manager Juergen Klopp will at least have fond memories of Atletico’s Metropolitano stadium in Madrid after winning the 2019 title there against Tottenham Hotspur.
“I laughed, to be honest, pretty loud because it is a tough group obviously,” Klopp told Liverpoolfc.com.
“We played. I don’t know how often, already against Porto, so they will be waiting for us. We have obviously a little bit of (an) open bill with Atletico, and AC Milan, a historical one obviously. I think our supporters should be looking forward to it – we do, for sure,” Klopp added.
Group A:
Manchester City (England)
Paris Saint-Germain (France)
RB Leipzig (Germany)
Club Brugge (Belgium)
Group B:
Atletico Madrid (Spain)
Liverpool (England)
Porto (Portugal)
AC Milan (Italy)
Group C:
Sporting CP (Portugal)
Borussia Dortmund (Germany)
Ajax (Netherlands)
Besiktas (Turkey)
Group D:
Inter Milan (Italy)
Real Madrid (Spain)
Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine)
Sheriff Tiraspol (Moldova)
Group E:
Bayern Munich (Germany)
Barcelona (Spain)
Benfica (Portugal)
Dynamo Kiev (Ukraine)
Group F:
Villarreal (Spain)
Manchester United (England)
Atalanta (Italy)
Young Boys (Switzerland)
Group G:
Lille (France)
Sevilla (Spain)
Salzburg (Austria)
Wolfsburg (Germany)
Group H:
Chelsea (England)
Juventus (Italy)
Zenit St Petersburg (Russia)
Malmo (Sweden)