Barça and Sevilla fall into the groups of death in the Champions League; luck for Madrid and Atlético
The Champions League groups were raffled with mixed fortunes for the Spaniards. The ‘bombazo’ fell to Barça, with Bayern and Inter as rivals.
The curves begin soon for Xavi Hernández ‘s Barça . After a summer marked by the levers and the signings, the azulgrana team will start their way in the Champions League in the worst way: against Bayern Munich and Inter Milan in the group stage. Of the Spaniards, he was the one who had the most bad luck.
It will be easier for Real Madrid, current champion. The whites will have the German RB Leipzig as their most difficult rival . Neither can the other Madrid team, Atlético , who dodged the ‘coconuts’. Lopetegui ‘s Sevilla fell into another terrible group and will face Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund .
UEFA held a gala on Thursday in which the draw was the protagonist , but also the awards for the best of the year. Real Madrid reigned, with awards for Karim Benzema and Carlo Ancelotti , and Alexia Putellas did it for the second year in a row .
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The draw was quick after repeated complaints in recent years. Straight to the point. And so a former Real Madrid player, Hamit Altintop , and a former Barça player, Yaya Touré , both ambassadors of the final that this year will be played in Istanbul , were taking out the balls . The first to come out was that of the current champion, the only one of the Spaniards in pot 1.
In the rest of the groups there are some interesting confrontations like Milan-Chelsea or, especially, PSG-Juventus . The ‘Cinderellas’ group will be D, made up of Eintracht , Tottenham , Sporting and Marseille . Cards on the table for another edition of the Champions League that will start in two weeks (September 6-7).
The ghosts of the Barça
The culé rebirth had to start in the Ottomon capital and only more problems arose. Joan Laporta must have had a poker face after spending the whole summer activating levers with one purpose: risking everything to the present. With the ghosts of last year’s elimination in groups, he will have to lace up his boots again.
Barça is not the same as last season and he hopes that with the signings he will be able to reach the round of 16. Raphinha , Koundé (still unregistered) and, above all, Lewandowski should change the face of Xavi’s men. Bomb draw also for the Polish striker, who will meet again with Bayern after leaving slamming the door.
Shakhtar again… but in Poland
Real Madrid, for the third year in a row, will face Shakhtar Donetsk in groups. The Ukrainian team, while their country is still mired in war, will play their ‘home’ matches in Warsaw ( Poland ). Nkunku or Werner ‘s RB Leipzig will be the favorite to move on as second, while Celtic , as legendary as they are docile in Europe, will be the weakest team in group F.
Easy but rocky group
Atleti, the other lucky Spaniard, dodged the ‘coconuts’ from pot 1 and fell paired with the Portuguese champion, Porto . Those of Simeone should not be trusted, yes, reuniting with Bayer Leverkusen and measuring, finally, the Belgian Bruges .
Two ‘coconuts’ for Sevilla
In group G Sevilla was matched. From pot 1 he got the worst thing that could happen to him and from pot 3, with Inter’s permission, too. City and Dortmund will take the Seville team to the limit, which has started La Liga with a loss and a draw. Mission (almost) impossible at the Sánchez Pizjuán .
The groups of the Champions
Group A: Ajax, Liverpool, Napoli, Rangers
Group B: Porto, Atlético Madrid , Bayer Leverkusen, Bruges
Group C: Bayern Munich, FC Barcelona , Inter Milan, Viktoria Pilsen
Group D: Eintracht Frankfurt, Tottenham, Sporting Portugal, Marseille
Group E: AC Milan, Chelsea, RB Salzburg, Dinamo Zagreb
Group F: Real Madrid , RB Leipzig, Shakhtar Donetsk, Celtic
Group G: Manchester City, Seville , Dortmund, Copenhagen
Group H: PSG, Juventus, Benfica, Maccabi Haifa
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