The UEFA Champions League draw for this season was held in Monaco, with many interesting match-ups right from the onset, which is keeping fans in earnest anticipation for the games to commence.
The UEFA Champions League is the most prestigious club cup competition in the world, attracting millions of eyeballs and attention around the world. Though it is a competition under UEFA, it is a competition that attracts many people even beyond Europe. The competition has gone through so many changes over the years, with the recent one being the changes made to the group stage phase, where teams now compete in an all play all format. This season is the second time this format will be utilised.
The new format is a brilliant one from the officials at UEFA, as it ignites more excitement and competition, as big teams can no longer avoid each other to reach the knockout stages. The group phase has now been designed to give us thrilling and fierce match-ups right from the onset. This season’s competition is set to start on an exciting note as the draw gave us very interesting matches to enjoy. We delve into the draw for the top teams and explore the teams they face:
PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN
The current holders of the UCL start their title defence, playing at home against FC Bayern Munich and going away to play against FC Barcelona. They later play teams like Atalanta, Bayern Leverkusen, Tottenham Hotspurs, Sporting CP, Newcastle United and Athletic Bilbao. The match-ups of PSG v Bayern Munich and FC Barcelona v PSG; are straightaway the most anticipated matches as the German and Catalan team are amongst the strong contenders to win this season’s competition. Another interesting match-up is meeting Tottenham Hotspurs again, after they both played in the Super Cup, where Tottenham gave the Champions a really tough time, pushing the game into penalties.
REAL MADRID
Real Madrid, who have won the competition the most (15), are one of the strong favorites to win this year’s competition. Despite a change of managers with Ancelotti leaving the scene and Alonso taking charge, they are still touted as favorites to win, given how the competition itself finds a way to smile on them. The start the campaign by welcoming Manchester City to the Bernabau. They later travel to Anfield to face Liverpool. Subsequently, they play Juventus (Home), SL Benfica (Away), Olymique Marseille (Home), Olympiacos (Away), As Monaco (Home) and Kairat Almaty (Away).
The match-up against Manchester City is one that will be fierce as both teams have played against each other in either the Quarter finals and Semi finals, simultaneously. This encounter has always been a cagey one, which often comes down to tactical brilliance and mental fortitude of the players on the field. Liverpool is also one that many lovers of football are very much enthused about. In recent times, Real Madrid have had the better of Liverpool beating them twice in the UCL finals.
MANCHESTER CITY
One-time Champion Manchester City will look to clinch their second title, this season. They start of the campaign, welcoming Borussia Dortmund to The Ettihad Stadium and going away to the Bernabau to pplay Real Madrid. In Subsequent matches they play Bayern Leverkusen (Home), Valencia (Away), Napoli (Home), Bodo/Glimt (Away), Galatasaray (Home) and AS Monaco (Away). Many people are of the belief that City have the most favorable draw, as the only stiff opposition they have been drawn to face is Real Madrid. It remains to be seen if City can capitalize on this win the ultimate.
BAYERN MUNICH
Bayern Munich who are 6-time champions of the competition are also touted as on of the favourites to lift the UCL this season. The Bavarians begin with a home game against Chelsea at the Allianz Arena, and going to the Parc de Princes to face Paris Saint-Germain. They move on to play Club Brugge (Home), Arsenal (Away), Sporting CP (Home), PSV (Away), Union SG (Home) and Pafos (Away). Interesting match-ups are against PSG and Semi finalist Arsenal, who beat Real Madrid last season in the Quarter Final phase. It is interesting to see how Vincent Kompany and his team will compete against these opponents.
LIVERPOOL
Six times champions and English Champions Liverpool look to redeem themselves in the UCL after an abysmal performance against PSG which lead to their elimination in the Round of 16. They start with hosting Real Madrid at home and going away to Inter. They continue with their matches against Atletico Madrid (Home), Frankfurt (Away), PSV (Home), Marseille (Away), Qarabag (Home) and Galatasaray (Away). Real Madrid, Inter and Atletico Madrid are set to provide stiffer opposition to Liverpool, as they seek to give an impressive showing this season. They are one of those favored to win the competition.
INTER
Inter Milan are one of the teams in pole position to clinch the title this season, having made it to the final and losing hugely to PSG last season. They are also 3-time holders of the competition. Inter begin their campaign welcoming Liverpool and going to the Signa Iduna park to face Dortmund, in their first two opening fixtures. They later play Arsenal (Home), Atletico Madrid (Away), Slavia Praha (Home), Ajax (Away), Kairat Almaty (Home) and Union SG (Away).
CHELSEA
World Champions Chelsea and 2-time winners of the UCL, are certainly a force to reckon with this season in the UCL, after their impressive win over PSG in the Fifa Club World Cup final in the United States and their impressive start to the new Premier League season. The Blues start of their campaign against FC Barcelona at the Stamford Bridge and going away to Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena in Germany. Chelsea go on to face Benfica (Home), Atalanta (Away), Ajax (Home), Napoli (Away), Pafos (Home) and Qarabag (Away).
The most anticipated match is against FC Barcelona as there remains stiff rivalry between the two clubs, after the Fernando Torres goal which denied Barcelona the chance to make it into the final. That qualification into the final, gave them their first UCL title in 2012, where they beat Bayern Munich at Allianz Arena. Bayern Munich with whom they play next after facing Barcelona.
BARCELONA
The Catalan club are one of the teams who are favourites to win the competition, as their team is seen as one of the strongest in Europe lead by Hansi Flick. Barcelona look to end their UCL trophy drought since 2015, even after winning the competition 5 times. They start this season’s campaign at home to PSG and make a trip to London to face Chelsea. They go ahead to play Frankfurt (Home), Club Brugge (Away), Olympiacos (Home), Slavia Praha (Away), Copenhegen (Home) and Newcastle (Away). The match-up against PSG is definitely one to anticipate as Luis Enrique in the PSG dugout was the manager who lead Barcelona to their last UCL trophy in 2015.
This season’s competition is definitely one that is set to be exciting and fierce as all teams will seek the chance to claim supremacy over the other. The UCL is touted to attract even more eyeballs than ever, as demand for the competition grows higher.
