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The starting gun for the elite league is 20./21. October. Home and away games remain at a tight interval, with the first three days of play within 16 days, as well as rounds four through six. By December 9 at the latest, the 16 newcomers (two per group) will be in the round of 16. According to UEFA, matches will not be announced until Friday night.
Salzburg is in the premier class for the second time. Last season the “Bulls” received a fixed ticket as Austrian champions, on Wednesday they survived qualification for the first time after a 3-1 home win against Maccabi Tel Aviv (total score: 5-2) after eleven failed attempts before and ended a single negative series. In 2019, they met SSC Napoli and KRC Genk along with Liverpool on their debut, finished third and continued to play in the Europa League.
“It’s a great group again,” said Salzburg sporting director Christoph Freund in an interview with ORF. “We will meet again with the current champion of the Champions League, currently the best team in the world to win title after title. You are currently in incredible shape, ”Freund emphasized. “The group is more difficult than last year,” said captain Andreas Ulmer.
“Hardest group”
Coach Jesse Marsch said in light of their second main rival, Atlético de Madrid, who just signed star forward Luis Suárez from FC Barcelona: “I think this is the most difficult group. But it will be exciting for us and we have to deliver our best performance, ”said the American. He promised: “We will certainly play brave and seek our best performance. We learned a lot from last year ”. As in the previous year, the team followed the draw at the training center in Taxham, and cheers erupted again when the defending champion was selected.
Champions League: Salzburg faces reigning champion Bavaria
As in the previous year, FC Salzburg won the UEFA Champions League group stage draw: Austria’s soccer championship will face defending champion Bayern Munich in Group A. Last year the “bulls” met with the champion (Liverpool at the time). The other rivals this season are Atlético de Madrid and Lok de Moscow. That was the result of Thursday’s draw in Geneva.
At first, Marsch did not want to name any specific goal. “Many (players, note) voted in the ‘Not in Group A!’ they screamed, many screamed ‘Please Group A!’ Our guys have a great passion to play against the best opponents. It’s an advantage to have a young squad, they don’t think about it too much. “Ulmer, the oldest” bull “, was convinced:” Nothing is impossible, we’ve played many good games internationally. We don’t need to hide or be afraid. “
The continental federation said on Thursday that it could be played again in front of the spectators and that it wants to allow fans to enter the stadiums starting next week. However, the specific design rests with the local authorities. Currently 3,000 spectators are allowed in the arena in Wals-Siezenheim. “That would be an absolute advantage,” Freund said.
Test Match brings back positive memories
CL’s three current season opponents are uncharted territory for Salzburg, but a friendly against the record-breaking German champions brings back positive memories: In a 2014 friendly, the Salzburg team surprisingly won 3-0 at home. Of course, only Andreas Ulmer and Andre Ramalho are still on board from Salzburg. At the time there was ÖFB star David Alaba, who, unless a change is made before October 5, will now face an ÖFB club for the first time in a competitive game for Bayern.
Bayern veteran Thomas Müller said of the draw: “A very interesting group. I have not played against two teams: Salzburg and Lok Moscow. As the current Champions League champion, you are already under pressure in the group stage. But I really want to see these opponents. “
Atlético is still waiting for a CL win. However, the colchoneros are considered a very unpleasant rival who, with coach Diego Simeone, who has been working since 2011, does less for the eyes than for the defense and, therefore, quite successful. A championship title (2014), two Europa League victories (2012 and 2018) and two CL finals (2014 and 2016 each against Real Madrid) are under the aegis of the Argentine. “It’s amazing the passion, the intensity and the emotions that they play,” Freund said.
The gray mouse in the group is Lok Moscow. The Russians are three-time national champions (most recently in 2018) and were able to advance to the last sixteen of the CL in 2003/04. Lok is the Russian club with the most appearances against Austrian clubs. In nine games, only Rapid (CL 2005 classification) and FC Tirol (CL 2001 classification) won two draws.
Superstars Ronaldo and Messi meet
There are special duels in Group G, among others: Juventus of Turin and FC Barcelona meet and thus the two superstars of world football: Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Dynamo Kiev and Ferencvaros Budapest complete the pool.
Messi and Ronaldo have already met 35 times, the most recent on May 6, 2018 in a 2-2 draw at the Camp Nou between Barça and Real Madrid. Both forwards scored a goal at that time. In the Champions League there was already a test of strength between the two dominant figures in world football in recent years, but never in the group stage.
Attractive rivals for ÖFB legionnaires
Leipzig Legionnaires Marcel Sabitzer and Konrad Laimer also have special duels ahead in Group H, taking on the finalists of the previous season’s Champions League, Paris Saint-Germain, as well as record-breaking England champions Manchester United and Istanbul Basaksehir.
ÖFB trio Stefan Lainer, Hannes Wolf and Valentino Lazaro can look forward to Group B matches against Spanish champions Real Madrid and Inter Milan with former Salzburg coach Marco Rose and Borussia Mönchengladbach. Lázaro, currently injured, is on loan from Inter. Group B completes Shakhtar Donetsk.
Reigning English champions Liverpool drew in Group D against Ajax Amsterdam, Atalanta Bergamo and FC Midtjylland, Europa League champions FC Sevilla will play in Group E against Chelsea, Krasnodar and Stade Rennes. In group F are Zenit St. Petersburg, Borussia Dortmund, Lazio Roma and Club Bruges. Group C is made up of FC Porto, Manchester City, Olympiacos and Olympique de Marseille.
Possible shifts
The goal for all clubs is Istanbul, where the final will take place on May 29, 2021. In the group stage there is a real date hunt until Christmas. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, there could be more game cancellations, then somehow a new alternate date must be found. UEFA reserves the right to extend the group stage until January 28. If it cannot be completed for “any reason”, the UEFA Executive Committee will decide on the composition of the knockout round.
