Sports

CL draw: Bayern to meet Atletico Madrid, Messi and Ronaldo reunited

Sports Desk, Oct 1 (efe-epa).- Reigning European champions Bayern Munich will begin their title defense against Atlético Madrid, Red Bull Salzburg and Lokomotiv Moscow in Group A of this year’s Uefa Champions League while Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are set meet again in Group D.

Bayern will hope to draw on their emphatic European campaign last year, the success of which was reflected in the fact that Manuel Neuer, Joshua Kimmich and forward Robert Lewandowski were given the awards for men’s best goalkeeper, defender and forward during the draw in Geneva.

Lewandowski also took men’s player of the year overall and Hans Flick for best manager. Danish footballer Pernille Harder won women’s player of the year.

Real Madrid, who have won the Champions League 13 times, were drawn in Group B with Shakhtar Donetsk, Inter Milan and Borussia Monchengladbach.

The Spanish giants were eliminated from the competition last year by Manchester City, whose midfielder Kevin de Bruyne won the men’s midfielder of the year of the award

Man City will start their campaign this year in Group C with Porto, Olympiakos and Marseille.

Last year’s Premier League winners and the 2018/19 Champions League title-holders Liverpool were drawn into Group D with Ajax, Atalanta and Midtjylland.

Group E pits Sevilla with Chelsea, Krasnodar and Rennes while Group F hosts Zenit St Petersburg, Borussia Dortmund, Lazio and Club Bruges.

Barcelona will be looking to forget their campaign last year, when they were knocked out by Bayern Munich in a humiliating 8-2 defeat, when they kick-off this year in Group D against Juventus, Dynamo Kiev and Ferencvaros.

The draw means Barceona’s Lionel Messi and former Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo, widely considered two of the world’s greatest of all time, will meet once again on the pitch.

Related Articles

Back to top button