The group stage draw for the 2021/22 UEFA Champions League season was held in Istanbul on Thursday, with the five Spanish sides in this year’s competition learning their fate.
Champions League holder Chelsea has been drawn against Juventus of Serie A, Zenit St Petersburg of Russia, and Malmo of Sweden in the Champions League.
The Premier League champions Manchester City has been drawn to the Champions’ League group stage alongside Paris Saint-Germain, RB Leipzig, and Club Bruges.
Manchester United will face Villarreal, who defeated them in the Europa League final last season, as well as Atalanta of Italy and Young Boys of Switzerland.
Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid, Porto, and AC Milan, Liverpool is in a tough group.
Group stage draw in full
Group A: Manchester City, Paris St-Germain, RB Leipzig, Club Bruges
Group B: Atletico Madrid, Liverpool, Porto, AC Milan
Group C: Sporting Lisbon, Borussia Dortmund, Ajax, Besiktas
Group D: Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk, Sheriff Tiraspol
Group E: Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Benfica, Dynamo Kyiv
Read more: Man City 0-1 Chelsea: Havertz Seals Champions League Glory For Blues
Group F: Villarreal, Manchester United, Atalanta, Young Boys
Group G: Lille, Sevilla, FC Salzburg, Wolfsburg
Group H: Chelsea, Juventus, Zenit St Petersburg, Malmo according to Champions League draw
This year’s Champions League final takes place at the St Petersburg Stadium in Russia on Saturday, 28 May.
Champions League Stats
- Chelsea only lost one of their 13 Champions League matches last season, a 1-0 loss to Porto in the quarter-final second leg at home. In their seven games away from Stamford Bridge, they went undefeated (W6 D1).
- Only one reigning champion has failed to proceed from the initial group stage the following season in Champions League history: Chelsea in 2012-13, who finished third in their group before winning the Europa League.
- Pep Guardiola of Manchester City has the best victory percentage (63 percent – 86/136) among the 25 managers who have managed at least 50 Champions League matches.
- Lionel Messi might meet Manchester City for the eighth time in the Champions League, with PSG in the same group. The Argentine has scored more goals against City than any other player in the league (six goals in six games).
- Liverpool has progressed from 11 of its past 14 Champions’ League group stage appearances, including all four under Jurgen Klopp.
- In all European competitions, Liverpool had only won one of their six matches with Atletico Madrid (D2 L3), losing both home and away against them in 2019-20 when the Spanish side knocked them out in the final 16.
- Just Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Bayern Munich have played more Champions League matches than Manchester United (230), and the Red Devils are one of only five teams in the competition to have 100 or more victories (121).
- There have been no goals scored in the four Champions League meetings between Manchester United and Villarreal, making it the most played tie in the competition’s history.
