2018/19 Champions League Group Stage Draw Made as 32 Clubs Across Europe Learn Fate
The Champions League inched closer to kicking off for real this season after the group stage draw was made by UEFA officials and special guests in Monaco on Thursday evening.
The 32 qualifiers were drawn into the usual eight groups of four (A-H) after being earlier split into the seeded pots (1-4) based on their UEFA ranking.
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Aiming for a fourth successive European title, reigning champions Real Madrid will contend with 2017/18 semi finalists Roma, CSKA Moscow and Viktoria Plzen in Group G.
Plenty of eyes were on Juventus at the draw, with the reigning Italian champions keen to win their first European crown since 1996 after signing five-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo. They will face Ronaldo's former club Manchester United, as well as Valencia and Young Boys.
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Liverpool were drawn into a tough group and will face Paris Saint-Germain, Napoli and 1991 champions Red Star Belgrade over the next three months as the Reds look to prove that last season's journey to the final in Kyiv was no fluke.
Pep Guardiola is looking to steer English champions Manchester City to Champions League glory for the first time, but must first navigate a group containing Shakhtar Donetsk for the second successive year, as well as Lyon and Hoffenheim.
His old club Barcelona have spent heavily in the transfer market over last 12 months and must get the better of Tottenham, PSV Eindhoven and a returning Inter to progress from Group B.
2018/19 UEFA Champions League Group Draw in Full:
Group A | Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Monaco, Club Brugge |
Group B | Barcelona, Tottenham Hotspur, PSV Eindhoven, Inter |
Group C | Paris Saint-Germain, Napoli, Liverpool, Red Star Belgrade |
Group D | Lokomotiv Moscow, Porto, Schalke, Galatasaray |
Group E | Bayern Munich, Benfica, Ajax, AEK Athens |
Group F | Manchester City, Shakhtar Donetsk, Lyon, Hoffenheim |
Group G | Real Madrid, Roma, CSKA Moscow, Viktoria Plzen |
Group H | Juventus, Manchester United, Valencia, Young Boys |
The group stage will get underway next month, with matchday one scheduled for 18/19 September. Games will be played throughout October and November and the phase will conclude with matchday six on 11/12 December.
The final will be played at Wanda Metropolitano in Madrid on Saturday 1st June 2019.
