Champions League Group stage draws: Messi and Ronaldo to face-off again

The champions league group stage draw took place on Thursday, and is set to treat us to one of the greatest rivalries of all time.

Football greats Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will face-off once again, two years after the latter’s switch to Juventus.

Barcelona will face Juventus in the group stages of the competition after they were paired together in group G.

The rivalry between these two players is the longest football has ever seen. Messi and Ronaldo have shared 11 of the last 12 Ballon d’ Or  awards, with the former winning it six times and the latter five times. Luka Modric proved to be the only difference between them after winning the coveted award in 2018.

Dynamo Kyiv and new boys Ferencvaros have joined Barcelona and Juventus in Group G.

Manchester united have been paired with Paris Saint Germain in Group H. The two sides last met in the champions league round of 16 two seasons ago, where the former knocked out the latter from the competition. PSG  got to the final of the competition last season but were defeated by Bayern Munich. RB Leipzig and Istanbul Basaksehir complete the group.

Last season’s eventual champions Bayern Munich will face Atletico Madrid, Red Bull Salzburg and Lokomotiv Moscow in Group A.

2018 winners Liverpool have been matched with Ajax, Atalanta and Midtjylland in Group D. Liverpool will hope to better their exploits in the competition after an early exit last season against Atletico Madrid.

Last season’s quarter finalist Manchester City find themselves in a more favourable group draw with Porto, Marseille and Olympiacos.

Real Madrid, the most successful club in the competition’s history have been drawn in a tough group B alongside Shakhtar Donetsk, Inter Milan and Borussia Monchengladbach.

Chelsea find themselves in Group E and will play Europa league winners Sevilla, Rennes and Krasnodar. Borussia Dortmund, Zenit St Petersburg, Lazio and Club Brugge will battle out in group F.

The 2020-21 champions league season will kick off October 20/21.