The 2021-22 UEFA Champions League group stage is set.
A total of 32 European clubs learned their fate for the upcoming group stage, with several mouthwatering matchups on the schedule including some American talent. Two of the tournament favorites will meet in Group A as Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City takes on Lionel Messi and Paris Saint-Germain.
Christian Pulisic and Chelsea were paired with Weston McKennie and Juventus in Group H while Sergiño Dest and Barcelona will face off with Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich.
A trio of American showdowns will take place in Group H as Timothy Weah and Lille was joined by Brenden Aaronson and Red Bull Salzburg and John Brooks and Wolfsburg.
Jesse Marsch’s RB Leipzig side will find it tough advancing out of Group A after being paired with Man City and PSG, but Tyler Adams and Co. will hope to provide a few shocks along the way. Gio Reyna and Borussia Dortmund will be favorites to advance as the winners of Group C after being paired with Sporting Lisbon, Besiktas, and Ajax.
Among some of the other top showdowns is Atletico Madrid-Liverpool and Inter Milan-Real Madrid. Villarreal will also face off with Manchester United in a rematch of last season’s Europa League Final, which the La Liga side won in a dramatic penalty kick shootout.
UEFA Champions League Groups
Here’s a closer look at all eight of the UCL groups:
Group A: Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, RB Leipzig, Club Brugge.
Group B: Atletico Madrid, Liverpool, Porto, AC Milan.
Group C: Sporting Lisbon, Borussia Dortmund, Ajax, Besiktas.
Group D: Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk, FC Sheriff.
Group E: Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Benfica, Dynamo Kyiv.
Group F: Villarreal, Manchester United, Atalanta, Young Boys.
Group G: Lille, Sevilla, Red Bull Salzburg, Wolfsburg.
Group H: Chelsea, Juventus, Zenit St. Petersburg, Malmo.
Here’s a breakdown of the group stage schedule:
Matchday 1: September 14-15
Matchday 2: September 28-29
Matchday 3: October 19-20
Matchday 4: November 2-3
Matchday 5: November 23-24
Matchday 6: December 7-8
