Lionel Messi’s new club Paris Saint-Germain will play Manchester City, managed by the Argentine great’s former Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola, after they were drawn together in the Champions League group stages.
Messi recently left Barcelona to join Qatar-owned PSG, who will also take on Bundesliga side RB Leipzig and Belgium’s Brugge in group A following Thursday’s draw in Istanbul.
Two of European soccer’s wealthiest teams are paired against each other yet again as they both seek a first title, with City having beaten the French side 4-1 on aggregate in last season’s semi-finals.
Abu Dhabi-owned City went on to lose the final to Premier League rivals Chelsea, who have been drawn in Group H against Juventus, Zenit St Petersburg and Malmo.
City have yet to lose to PSG in the Champions League but Messi has also scored more goals against them – six in six games – than any other side in the competition.
Real Madrid will play Italian champions Inter Milan, Shakhtar Donetsk and Moldova’s Sheriff Tiraspol in Group D, while Spanish champions Atletico Madrid and Liverpool are in a tough Group B with former winners Porto and AC Milan.
Six-times winners Liverpool and manager Jurgen Klopp will at least have fond memories of Atletico’s Metropolitano stadium after winning the 2019 title there against Tottenham Hotspur.
“I laughed, to be honest, pretty loud because it is a tough group obviously,” Klopp told the club’s website.
“We played, I don’t know how often, already against Porto, so they will be waiting for us. We have obviously a little bit of (an) open bill with Atletico, and AC Milan, a historical one obviously.
“I think our supporters should be looking forward to it – we do, for sure.”
AC Milan coach Stefano Pioli, whose club beat Liverpool in the 2007 final after losing memorably in 2005, said it was certainly a “stimulating” group.
Barcelona have been drawn in Group E with Bayern Munich, Benfica and Dynamo Kyiv, while Manchester United will have another meeting with Spain’s Villarreal, a repeat of this year’s Europa League final, in Group F along with Atalanta and Swiss side Young Boys.
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