Thursday’s
Champions League draw threw up plenty of interesting fixtures, with Real Madrid
set to face PSG, Juventus set to play Manchester City and Arsenal square it up
against Bayern Munich.
SoccerNet Nigeria compiles a list of the notable players and managers set for emotional reunions.
Group A:
PSG, Real Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk, Malmo
It
appears a straight fight between PSG and Real Madrid for top spot in a group
where Malmo should be the whipping boys.
Angel Di
Maria and PSG will plot the downfall of his ex-employers, Real Madrid.
Zlatan
Ibrahimovic is a Swedish legend and a hero among the Malmo faithfuls and the
fireworks are set to be set loose, win or lose.
Group B:
PSV, Man United, CSKA Moscow, Wolfsburg
Manchester
United have a few tough trips to make but it would not be surprising if the Red
Devils top a group where Wolfsburg are their toughest foe.
Man
United’s Memphis Depay leads his new team to battle out a club he was captain
of until this transfer window opened.
Zoran
Tosic was never considered up to standard at Man United but the winger has
blossomed elsewhere and will have a point to prove as his Ahmed Musa-inspired CSKA
Moscow side slug it out against the Red Devils.
Group C:
Benfica, Atletico, Galatasaray, Astana
Atletico, finalists in 2014, return to the
scene of their painful defeat at the hands of local rivals Real as they play
Benfica.
Kazakhstan will witness its first side to
compete in the tournament proper, as Astana square up against former champions,
Benfica and top dog, Atletico Madrid.
Jan Oblak was one of Atletico’s better
performers last season and will look to remain in inspiring form as he will be
charged with the task of keeping his former side, Benfica, from finding the
back of the net.
Jan Oblak
is not the only ex-Benfica player in Atletico Madrid’s rank, though, as Tiago
Mendes also has a grudge to settle with the Portuguese.
The money
will be on Atletico to win a relatively easy group.
Group D:
Juventus, Man City, Sevilla, Monchengladbach
Man City
again are faced with a really tough draw that also has 2015 losing finalists
Juventus and Europa League winners, Sevilla.
New
Sevilla target man, Fernando Llorente is now committed to facing Juventus, the
same side he helped to the competition’s final just a couple of months ago.
Jesus
Navas made his name with childhood club, Sevilla but now with Manchester City,
he will be in the thick of the plot to destroy the Europa League champions.
Group E:
Barcelona, Leverkusen, Roma, BATE
Luis
Enrique guided Barcelona to the UEFA Champions League title in stunning fashion
in May but he has a tricky tie to negotiate against Roma, where he interned for
a year.
Tin
Jedvaj helped Bayer Leverkusen overcome Italian side, Lazio, only to book a
place in the draw against another Roman club and Jedvaj’s former team, Roma.
Seydou
Keita has earned the right to play again on the hallowed turf of the Camp Nou.
Only that this time, he will be wearing the colours of AS Roma.
Group F:
Bayern, Arsenal, Olympiacos, Dinamo Zagreb
Pep Guardiola
and Bayern Munich seem not to be tired of facing Arsenal as the two sides face
off again in what should be the group’s decider.
It’s a
well-documented case of homers take it all in recent ties between the Gunners and
Olympiacos and not much is expected to change for the familiar foes.
Last
season, Arsenal’s Joel Campbell enjoyed a remarkable loan spell at Olympiacos
and will hope to be in the Gunners party to face the stubborn Turks.
Group G:
Chelsea, Porto, Dynamo Kyiv, M. Tel-Aviv
It’s a
return home for Chelsea’s manager, Jose Mourinho as he has a date to keep with
Portuguese giants, Porto. At Porto (with whom Jose Mourinho first won the
Champions League in 2004), is Iker Casillas whose troubles
at Real Madrid began when Jose Mourinho was at the helm of affairs.
Tal Ben
Haim was a cast away at Chelsea but the former Blue has resurfaced at Maccabi
Tel Aviv and together with his teammates would be hoping to cause an upset in
the Group stages.
Group H:
Zenit, Valencia, Lyon, Gent
All four sides in this even group, Gent less
likely, have a chance of progression.
Valencia, meanwhile, may be in for a tricky
time along with Zenit and Lyon, with Belgian champions Gent expected to merely
make up the numbers.
