The group stage draw for the 2021/22 Champions League was made yesterday. The qualifiers for the competition were over on Wednesday, meaning we have the 32 teams who enter the competition-proper finalized. Among the teams, FC Sheriff are the debutants in the competition. They saw off Dinamo Zagreb on Wednesday 3-0 on aggregate.
Here’s the group stage draw in full:
Group A
Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, RB Leipzig, Club Brugge
Group B
Atletico Madrid, Liverpool, Porto, Milan
Group C
Sporting CP, Borussia Dortmund, Ajax, Besiktas
Group D
Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk
Group E
Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Benfica, Dynamo Kiev
Group F
Villarreal, Manchester United, Atalanta, BSC Young Boys
Group G
LOSC Lille, Sevilla, RB Salzburg, Wolfsburg
Group H
Chelsea, Juventus, Zenit St. Petersburg, Malmo FF
Group stage draw analysis
This draw has thrown perhaps the most mouth-watering group stage ever. In group A, we could have a potential Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi reunion if rumors come to fuition. Man City are drawn along side PSG, in a repeat of last season’s semi-final. Group B takes up the mantle of the ‘Group of Death’. It features six-time, two-time and seven-time Champions League winners. Milan vs Liverpool might not be the toughest fixture on paper, but it evokes memories of that classic final played in 2005 in the city where the draw took place – Istanbul.
Elsewhere, former champions Bayern Munich are in the same group as Barcelona. The Blaugrana won’t have fond memories of their previous meeting. That match served as a reminder of the growing distance between Barca and the Europe’s elite. Group F pits a rematch of last season’s Europa League final. Manchester United have a shot at revenge against Villarreal, who beat them in a memorable penalty shoot-out in Belfast at the end of May. Group D is almost a repeat of last season’s Group B. Real Madrid, Inter and Shakhtar all featured in the same group last season also.
Group C and G can perhaps be termed as the ‘Underdogs’ Group’. All the four teams in each of the groups must fancy their chances of progressing. In Group H, history repeats itself. Defending champions Chelsea are drawn in the same group as Juventus. When Chelsea won the competition in 2012, they were put in the same group as Juventus the next season as well. The Blues will look to offer a better defense of their crown this time around. They were unable to make it through to the round of 16 in a dismal group stage performance, which included a 3-0 loss to Juventus. They did however, win the Europa League, as Chelsea became the first ever side to win the two European competitions back-to-back.
Who were the awards winners at the ceremony?
Chelsea swept up most of the awards on the Men’s side of things as you would expect. Barcelona made it a clean sweep in the Women’s awards. Here’s the list in full:
Men’s Awards
Goalkeeper of the UEFA Champions League season: Edouard Mendy (Chelsea and Senegal)
Defender of the UEFA Champions League season: Rúben Dias (Manchester City and Portugal)
Midfielder of the UEFA Champions League season: N’Golo Kanté (Chelsea and France)
Forward of the UEFA Champions League season: Erling Braut Haaland (Borussia Dortmund and Norway)
UEFA Men’s Player of the Year: Jorginho (Chelsea and Italy)
Men’s Coach of the Year: Thomas Tuchel (Chelsea)
Women’s Awards
Goalkeeper of the UEFA Champions League season: Sandra Paños (Barcelona and Spain)
Defender of the UEFA Champions League season: Irene Paredes (Barcelona and Spain)
Midfielder of the UEFA Champions League season: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona and Spain)
Forward of the UEFA Champions League season: Jennifer Hermoso (Barcelona and Spain)
UEFA Women’s Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona and Spain)
Women’s Coach of the Year: Lluís Cortés (Barcelona)
