Champions League draw LIVE: Liverpool, Manchester United, Man City and Chelsea learn group stage opponents
Follow the latest updates from the Champions League group stage draw
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Follow the latest updates live from the Champions League group stage draw as Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea all discovered who they will face in Europe this season.
Premier League champions Liverpool have been drawn alongside Ajax, Atalanta and Midtjylland in Champions League Group D. Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, losers in the quarter-finals last season, were drawn in Group C with Porto, Olympiacos and Marseille.
Manchester United will play French champions and 2020 losing finalists Paris St Germain as well as RB Leipzig and Istanbul Basaksehir in Group H while Chelsea will meet Europa League winners Sevilla as well as Krasnodar and Rennes in Group E. Here’s how the pots will be drawn, with live updates of both the Champions League draw and the Uefa Best awards below:
MIXED OUTCOME FOR CHELSEA
As the only non-champion side in pot one, Sevilla would seem to represent the best option from pot one - but rule them out at your peril. Sevilla hold one of the best recent records in Europe thanks to their triumphs in the Europa League, and are no pushover when it comes to the big table either.
In contrast, Krasnodar have never reached the group stage before and should be easy fodder for Chelsea, but Rennes are very much on the rise in Ligue 1 and could prove an unwanted obstacle for the Blues.
Chelsea’s Champions League group stage opponents confirmed
Frank Lampard’s side are back after exiting the tournament at the last 16 stage last season to the eventual champions Bayern Munich
CITY SMILING AGAIN
Manchester City tend to get away with generous draws thanks to their regular position in pot one, and despite this year dropping down to pot two - and making it impossible to be drawn with Shakhtar Donetsk yet again - they have landed themselves a good chance of making the knockout stages.
Porto may be the Portuguese champions but they should not prove too tough a test for City, while Olympiakos and Marseille fall into a similar category when compared to the riches of Pep Guardiola’s side.
That said, Marseille were among the best teams in pot three, while Olympiakos away is never an easy trip to contend with.
Man City’s Champions League group stage opponents confirmed
Manchester City will face Porto, Olympiakos and Marseille
GROUP OF DEATH
While Liverpool will be looking on a slightly favourable draw, the same cannot be said about Manchester United.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side find themselves well and truly in this year’s Group of Death, with last season’s finalists Paris Saint-Germain joining semi-finalists RB Leipzig. On top of that, United also face a long-haul trip to Turkey, where they will take on the rather unknown quantity that is Istanbul Basaksehir in their first Champions League group stage campaign.
Manchester United Champions League group stage opponents confirmed
United last featured in the competition in the 2018/19 season
UEFA MEN’S PLAYER OF THE YEAR
And the men’s award goes to … Robert Lewandowski!
The Bayern Munich striker appeared a shoe-in following his 15 goals last season, and he’s on hand to collect the trophy from Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin for the first time in his career.
UEFA WOMEN’S PLAYER OF THE YEAR
And the award goes to … Pernille Harder!
The world’s most expensive female footballer takes the award following her fantastic season in Europe, meaning Chelsea have the European footballer of the year on their hands this season after her summer acquisition.
Lucy Bronze misses out this year, but having already seen Wendie Renard take the award for the defender of the year, it always looked a tough ask.
LIVERPOOL BREATHE SIGH OF RELIEF
Jurgen Klopp won’t mind Liverpool’s draw too much this evening, given it could have been considerably tougher than what they’ve been handed.
Ajax are no longer the side that reached the semi-finals two years ago, and are considerably weaker than the team who failed to make it out of the Europa League round of 32 last season, which could see Atalanta emerge as their strongest rivals in Group D. Midtjylland shouldn’t pose too much of a threat either, with the Danish side making up the group.
Liverpool’s Champions League group stage opponents confirmed
Jurgen Klopp’s side are back and looking to better last season’s effort after exiting at the last 16 stage thanks to Atletico Madrid’s victory at Anfield
UEFA WOMEN’S COACH OF THE YEAR
Any guesses?
Of course, with Lyon winning a fifth consecutive Champions League, and all three positional gongs swept up by their players, the inaugural award goes to Jean-Luc Vasseur of Lyon.
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE DRAW
Group A: Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid, Red Bull Salzberg, Lokomotiv Moscow.
Group B: Real Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk, Inter Milan, Borussia Moonchengladbach.
Group C: FC Porto, Manchester City, Olympiakos, Marseille.
Group D: Liverpool, Ajax, Atalanta, Midtjylland.
Group E: Sevilla, Chelsea, Krasnodar, Rennes.
Group F: Zenit St Petersburg, Borussia Dortmund, Lazio, Club Brugge.
Group G: Juventus, Barcelona, Dynamo Kyiv, Ferencvaros.
Group H: Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, RB Leipzig, Istanbul Basaksehir.
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE DRAW
Group A: Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid, Red Bull Salzberg, Lokomotiv Moscow.
Group B: Real Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk, Inter Milan, Borussia Moonchengladbach.
Group C: FC Porto, Manchester City, Olympiakos, Marseille.
Group D: Liverpool, Ajax, Atalanta, Midtjylland.
Group E: Sevilla, Chelsea, Krasnodar, Rennes.
Group F: Zenit St Petersburg, Borussia Dortmund, Lazio, Club Brugge.
Group G: Juventus, Barcelona, Dynamo Kyiv,
Group H: Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, RB Leipzig, Istanbul Basaksehir.
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE DRAW
Group A: Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid, Red Bull Salzberg, Lokomotiv Moscow.
Group B: Real Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk, Inter Milan,
Group C: FC Porto, Manchester City, Olympiakos, Marseille.
Group D: Liverpool, Ajax, Atalanta, Midtjylland.
Group E: Sevilla, Chelsea, Krasnodar, Rennes.
Group F: Zenit St Petersburg, Borussia Dortmund, Lazio, Club Brugge.
Group G: Juventus, Barcelona, Dynamo Kyiv,
Group H: Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, RB Leipzig, Istanbul Basaksehir.
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