Anxiety as all is set for UEFA Champions’ League group stage draw

Excitement is building throughout the world ahead of the draw for the 2021/22 UEFA Champions’ League draw set to be held Thursday evening in Istanbul, Turkey.

Defending champions Chelsea are in Pot 1, which, ordinarily, would not worry anyone but Tomas Tuchel’s Blues are unlucky because this season’s draw comes after a season of seismic shifts in top European leagues, consequences of which will be laid bare by a look at the other pots.

Paris Saint-Germain conceded the French title to Lille in 2020/21, Atletico Madrid pipped both Barcelona and Real Madrid to the Spanish top-flight crown and Inter Milan ended Juventus’ dominance of the Serie A.

In the Europa League, minnows Villarreal defeated mighty Manchester United in the final, meaning most the heavyweights are Pot 2.

Manchester’s delight is in the fact that the two biggest clubs of the city – Manchester United and Manchester City – are both in contention for the big-eared trophy, with cross-town neighbours Liverpool also in the fray.

City reached their first ever final last season and their star-studded squad are among those expected to compete for the trophy once again, while neighbours United and Liverpool have a rich history in the top European competition.

City and United qualified after their one-two Premier League finish.

Pep Guardiola’s tea are in Pot 1 by virtue of having won the EPL, while United who enjoyed a stellar progression campaign simultaneously reached the Europa League showpiece final, losing via a penalty shoot-out in Gdansk against Villarreal.

United find themselves in a seemingly tough Pot 2 alongside Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid as well as rivals Liverpool, Juventus, Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain and Sevilla.

Pot 3 features, among others, Benfica, who held their own against PSV Eindhoven in the qualification rounds and Shakhtar Donetsk who dramatically edged Monaco in a tense second leg match played Wednesday night in Kharkiv.

Teams from the same country cannot face each other in the group stages.

The UEFA Champions League draw pots

Pot 1: Chelsea, Villarreal, Atletico Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, Lille, Sporting Club

Pot 2: Real Madrid, Barcelona, Sevilla, Manchester United, Liverpool, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund

Pot 3: Porto, Benfica, Ajax, Zenit Saint Petersburg, RB Leipzig, Atalanta, Shakhtar Donetsk

Pot 4: RB Salzburg, Sheriff Tiraspol, Besiktas, Dynamo Kyiv, Young Boys, Club Brugge, AC Milan, Wolfsburg

PHOTO/COURTESY