The Champions League draw has produced great clashes, both for the Spanish teams and for the big European teams. It was a bomb draw that will allow the fan (UEFA will allow 30% capacity in stadiums) see for the first time in history the duel between Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi in a group stage. It was the big news from the Nyon draw. But fate is capricious and has 'gifted' us with other confrontations with a lot of curiosity.
Barcelona and Juventus will meet in Group G, along with Dinamo Kiev and Ferencváros. It will be the first time that Messi and Cristiano cross paths in the first phase of the competition. Let us remember that they have not coincided on the pitch since May 2018, in a league match between Real Madrid and Barcelona (2-2). Since then, the Portuguese went to Italy and has not played against Messi again. They will be the two games of the morbid and will serve as a reinvindication for both, once they were left out of the best eleven of the Champions League.
As luck would have it, Inter Milan and Real Madrid face off in Group B. What is the same, Achraf will measure his former teammates. The Moroccan full-back was sold this summer to the Neroazurro team in exchange for € 40M. Zidane did not assure him minutes of play and Achraf preferred to return outside of Real Madrid. The white team made cash for a footballer with great projection and which already shows with Conte what he is capable of. There is curiosity to see him in front of whites.
It will also be interesting to see Antonio Conte at the Bernabéu, as his name rang out loudly to replace Lopetegui at the White House but ultimately did not happen. His character did not convince the white captains who stopped his arrival.
The French full back left the rojiblanco team behind to sign for Bayern Munich. Many did not like his attitude, since he made a commitment to the Bavarians in March when Atlético was still aspiring to the titles. The truth is that an injury prevented him from playing more with the rojiblanca. Simeone publicly stated that “his departure did us a lot of damage, because it was ours.” Lucas will face his former team after winning the repoker with Bayern Munich.
The Brazilian left Barcelona last summer, but now he will have to return to the Camp Nou after the Juventus-Barça crossing. It also happens to Pjanic that he will meet again with his companions from the Vecchia Signora. For Arthur Melo it will not be one more confrontation since he will want to show the noble club of Can Barça the footballer they lost. From the directive fno they were happy with the performance of the footballer on the field and his continuous extra-sports problems.
Pupil and teacher. They already watched weapons in the semifinals of the last edition of the Champions League, but despite the fact that they strove to show “good vibes”, between the two there is competition. Tuchel, PSG coach, had Nagelsmann, Leipzig coach, as a player at Augsburg. He even gave him the alternative in football analysis. There is respect but they show that if they can, they would like to crush each other on the field.
The mythical former Ukrainian striker was Barcelona's nightmare in the 1997-98 Champions League. With Dynamo Kiev he overwhelmed Van Gaal's Barcelona both in Kiev (3-0) and at the Camp Nou (0-4). He scored two goals between the two teams in the group stage. Together with Shevchenko he formed a spectacular duple. He is now the coach of the Hungarian Ferencváros, who has returned to the Champions League 25 years later.
Rebrov celebrates the 3-0 to Barcelona.
MIKHAIL CHERNICHKIN (REUTERS)
The oldest coach in this next Champions League, Mircea Lucescu directs Dinamo Kiev. Rival of Barcelona, Juventus and Ferencvaros. The coach faced the Catalan team in the 2008 Champions League and had them stiff with Messi and company. The one who was Shakhtar's coach at the time showed his anger at the unsportsmanlike attitude of the Catalans, mainly with Messi's first goal. “It is a shame what Barça has done. In another stadium, in England or Italy, they would not have come out alive. What a fair play. Winning like this is not typical of Barcelona”Lucescu said. Now their paths meet again, but in the Kiev dugout (another team of unfortunate memory for the Catalans).
They will not be the only confrontations in which sparks will fly or there will be their sentimental sidel. Sevilla will face Rennes, team of former Andalusian footballer N'Zonzi. The Frenchman in 2018 left Sevilla to go to Rome, together with sports director Monchi. Luck also dear that Edouard Mendy, that just a few days ago he left Rennes to sign for Chelsea, he has to see each other again with his former teammates.
They also meet up with their former two proper names. Argentine Di María, currently at PSG, will face Manchester United in the terrifying Group H. Club where he only played one campaign, after leaving Madrid, and in which they still qualify as one of the worst signings in recent years. And the technician also knows about ex André Villas-Boas who will have to return to Do Dragao with the Oympique de Marseille. The Portuguese coach won title poker with Los Dragones in 2010-2011, but abruptly left to sign for Chelsea.
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