The draw of the UEFA Champions League group stages took place in Monaco this evening, and Real Madrid have been drawn into a tough draw, while Manchester United received an easy group.
The defending champions will again be the side to beat in this year's competition after Los Blancos became the first team to lift back-to-back UCL titles last season.
Zinedine Zidane's side have been drawn against in the toughest group alongside Borussia Dortmund, Tottenham Hotspur and Apoel.
South Africa is likely to have two representatives in the competition: Dino Ndlovu scored the goal that secured FK Qarabag's entry into the group stages, while Rivaldo Coetzee, pending a medical and contract signature, will take part with Scottish giants Celtic.
Ndlovu's side received a tough draw, facing Chelsea, Atletico Madrid and AS Roma, while Coetzee's likely new club Celtic will face Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Anderlecht.
Here are the eight groups in full:
Group A: Benfica (POR), Manchester United (ENG), Basel (SWI), CSKA Moscow (RUS)
Group B: Bayern Munich (GER), Paris Saint-Germain (FRA), Anderlecht (BEL), Celtic (SCO)
Group C: Chelsea (ENG), Atletico Madrid (ESP), AS Roma (ITA), Qarabag (AZE)
Group D: Juventus (ITA), FC Barcelona (ESP), Olympiacos (GRE), Sporting (POR)
Group E: Spartak Moscow (RUS), Sevilla (ESP), Liverpool (ENG), NK Maribor (SLO)
Group F: Shakthar (UKR), Manchester City (ENG), Napoli (ITA), Feyenoord (NED)
Group G: AS Monaco (FRA), FC Porto (POR), Besiktas (TUR), RB Leipzig (GER)
Group H: Real Madrid (ESP), Borussia Dortmund (GER), Tottenham Hotspur (ENG), APOEL (CYP)
The first round of group fixtures will be played on 12/13 September, while the group phase will end on 5/6 December, with the Round of 16 draw taking place on 11 December.
Which group do you think is the trickiest? Do you think Ndlovu and Coetzee can shine in Europe's elite competition this season? Have your say in the comments section below.
We
ReplyDelete