The four Premier League teams competing in the Champions League this season have discovered their group stage opponents following Thursday’s draw in Nyon.
2019 winners Liverpool will no doubt be favourites to top Group D, but they were handed a tricky task when they were paired with last season’s semi-finalists Atalanta, 2019 semi-finalists Ajax and FC Midtjylland.
Returning to the competition for the first time since 2018/19, Manchester United will reunite with runners-up Paris Saint-Germain, the last team they defeated in the Champions League on a dramatic night in Paris. Their route to the knockout phase will not be simple, however, given that they will face Istanbul Basaksehir and RB Leipzig. United will come face-to-face with Dayot Upamecano, the centre-back that they have admired greatly this year.
Their neighbours Manchester City were handed one of the kinder top seeds when they were drawn with FC Porto, who failed to reach this point last season when they suffered a shock defeat to FC Krasnodar in the qualifiers. They will also have to overcome Olympiacos and Marseille if they are to finally achieve their ultimate goal of European glory.
Meanwhile, Chelsea will come up against Europa League champions Sevilla, Russian outfit Krasnodar and Ligue 1’s Stade Rennes, from whom the Blues bought their new goalkeeper Edouard Mendy. The reigning champions Bayern Munich were the first team out of the pot, being drawn into Group A with Atletico Madrid, Salzburg and Lokomotiv Moscow.
The Champions League draw for 2020 – tasty! #UCLdraw pic.twitter.com/O656iZzmDY
— The Football Faithful (@FootyFaithful_) October 1, 2020
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