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Manchester United will play Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig in the group stage of the Champions League, with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo set to meet when Barcelona take on Juventus.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team had a tough draw on their return to competition, with Istanbul Basaksehir of Turkey as the last team in their group.
Liverpool also faces a difficult task, with Dutch champions Ajax and last season’s quarter-finalists Atalanta joining them in Group D alongside Midtjylland.
Liverpool face Dutch champions Ajax in Group D
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, defeated in last season’s quarterfinals, have faced Porto, Olympiakos and Marseille.
While Chelsea will play against Europa League champions Sevilla, Russian Krasnodar and newcomers Rennes in Group E.
Chelsea’s new goalkeeper Edouard Mendy is ready for an immediate reunion with Rennes
Current Bayern Munich play Atlético de Madrid in Group A, while Juventus and Barcelona meet in the Group G tie in which Ronaldo faces Messi for the first time since leaving Real Madrid.
The draw, which also saw Real Madrid and Inter Milan paired in Group B, was changed to a closed-door event in Geneva due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
UEFA said that hosting the event at its original headquarters in Athens, the Greek capital, “would violate public health restrictions and limitations regarding indoor events” in the country.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will meet in the group stage
Complete draw of the Champions
Group A: Bayern Munich, Atlético de Madrid, Red Bull Salzburg, Lokomotiv Moscow
B Group: Real Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk, Inter Milan, Borussia Monchengladbach
Group C: Porto, Manchester City, Olympiakos, Marseille
Group D: Liverpool, Ajax, Atalanta, Midtjylland
Group E: Seville, Chelsea, Krasnodar, Rennes
Group F: Zenit Saint Petersburg, Borussia Dortmund, Lazio, Club Brugge
Group G: Juventus, Barcelona, Dynamo Kiev, Ferencvaros
Group H: Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, RB Leipzig, Istanbul Basaksehir
When does football start?
The group stage begins the week of October 19, with six rounds of group play through mid-December.
- Matchday 1: October 20/21
- Matchday 2: October 27/28
- Matchday 3: November 3/4
- Matchday 4: 24/25 November
- Matchday 5: December 1/2
- Matchday 6: December 8/9
Whoever is lucky enough to make it all the way will meet at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, where Liverpool beat AC Milan in 2005, on May 29.
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