Full List of draw
Bundesliga giant, Bayern Munich have been drawn to face Robert Lewandowski’s Barcelona in Thursday’s draw for the UEFA Champions League group stage in Istanbul. In like manner, Premiership champion, Manchester City are to face their new signing, Erling Haaland, former club, Borussia Dortmund.
Bayern and Barcelona will also come up against Inter Milan in Group C, described as group of death. It is completed by the Czech champions, Viktoria Plzen.
Bayern beat Barcelona 8-2 in a one-off quarter-final in Lisbon in 2020, while the Catalans also lost 3-0 twice to the Germans last season as they were eliminated in the group stage.
Lewandowski, 34, signed for Barcelona during the close season for a fee that could reach 50 million euros ($49.9m) after scoring 344 goals in eight years at Bayern.
Haaland, on the other hand, left Dortmund for Premier League champions City in the close season. The two sides will also face Sevilla and Danish champions FC Copenhagen in Group G.
Last season’s defeated finalists, Liverpool, will entertain Ajax, Napoli and Rangers in Group A, while reigning champions Real Madrid will face Celtic as well as RB Leipzig and Shakhtar Donetsk in Group F.
French giants, Paris Saint-Germain, will meet Juventus as well as Benfica and Israeli champions Maccabi Haifa in Group H.
2021 winners, Chelsea FC of England will take on Serie A champions, AC Milan as well as Red Bull Salzburg and Dinamo Zagreb in Group E, while Tottenham Hotspur will face last season’s Europa League winners, Eintracht Frankfurt, along with Sporting Lisbon and Marseille in Group D.
Porto and Atletico Madrid meet for the second season running in Group B, which also featured Bayer Leverkusen and Belgian champions Club Brugge.
The group stage matches will begin with the first round of games on September 6 and 7.
All six matchdays will be played in the space of nine weeks, finishing on November 1 and 2, with UEFA needing to complete the group stage before the World Cup begins on November 20.
All the groups in at a glance
Group A
1. Ajax
2. Liverpool
3. Napoli
4. Rangers
Group B
1. Porto
2. Atlético
3. Leverkusen
4. Club Brugge
Group C
1. Bayern
2. Barcelona
3. Inter
4. Plzeň
Group D
1. Frankfurt
2. Tottenham
3. Sporting CP
4. Marseille
Group E
1. Milan
2. Chelsea
3. Salzburg
4. Dinamo Zagreb
Group F
1. Real Madrid
2. Leipzig
3. Shakhtar
4. Celtic
Group G
1. Man. City
2. Sevilla
3. Dortmund
4. Copenhagen
Group H
1. PSG
2. Juventus
3. Benfica
4. M. Haifa
