the UEFA will celebrate this Thursday the draw of the Group Stage of the Champions League 2021/22 and 32 clubs will seek to conquer the ‘Orejona’. The reigning champions, Chelsea, will try to defend their crown against teams like PSG, Real Madrid, Manchester City i Bayern Munich, Who wish to enjoy the highest European glory.
ESPN Digital presents you which could be the most complicated groups as well as the simplest sectors.
Before analyzing some of the combinations that could occur, it is important to remember that the draw has 26 teams that qualified directly to the group stage and six clubs that entered the competition via the playoffs .
The 32 clubs are divided into four drums with the first drum made up of last season’s Champions League and Europa League winners, as well as the domestic champions of the “six best-placed countries in the ranking that have not been ranked through of the titles 2020/21 “, according to the official site of the Champions.
Finally, in the group stage teams from the same federation cannot compete and this rule could drastically change the final result of the draw.
What could be some of the most complicated groups?
OPTION 1 | Chelsea, PSG, Porto and AC Milan
The reigning Champions League champion could be measured in the PSG, a team that is for many the big favorite to take the ‘Orejona’ with the arrival of Lionel Messi, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Sergio Ramos, Achraf Hakimi and Georgino Wijnaldum .
For its part, Porto had a great performance in the Champions 2020/21 by eliminating Juventus in the round of 16, while AC Milan is one of the historic clubs in Italy and after signing the Frenchman Olivier Giroud could also add Mexican Jesus “Tecatito” Corona to his ranks, before the Summer Market ends.
OPTION 2 | Manchester City, Real Madrid, Ajax and AC Milan
The English champions are one of the top contenders to win the Champions League, after last season came very close to retaining the title, but Chelsea defeated them in the Grand Final. However, despite the defeat, the team led by Pep Guardiola is a power that always competes for all titles.
Real Madrid is a specialist in the Champions League and could increase their chances of winning the competition if the transfer of Kylian Mbappé takes place. On the other hand, Ajax has signed good performances in Europe in recent seasons, while AC Milan is considered a great Old Continent to be the second highest winner of the contest.
OPTION 3 | Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Porto and AC Milan
The Bundesliga champion would look like the favorite to win this group, however, it would be very interesting that the team could end up in second place with Barcelona weakened by the departure of Messi, but with the hope of forming a team that competes against the best of ‘Europe.
Porto and AC Milan would have a real chance of finishing in the second ticket of the group and fans could certainly expect attractive encounters between these clubs. It should be noted that it would be special to see a Bayern Munich vs. Barcelona after the historic 8-2 offered by the Bavarians in the Champions League to the Catalan team.
What could be some of the most accessible groups?
OPTION 1 | Lille, Sevilla, Zenit, Malmo
Clubs that are not in Bombo 1 would like to share a group with Lilla, a team that was proclaimed champion of Ligue 1 last season, but which has lost key pieces in the transfer window and highlights the departure of the coach, Christophe Galtier.
Despite the casualties, Lille could easily reach the round of 16 with Sevilla being their main competition to win one of the two tickets, although Zenit could complicate their goal a bit, while Malmo would not be considered a threat.
OPTION 2 Sporting Lisbon, Dortmund, Zenit and Young Boys
Sporting were proclaimed champions of Portugal last season and a group with Zenit and Young Boys could increase their chances of qualifying for the knockout rounds of the competition.
Lisbon’s main rival would be Borussia Dortmund, a squad that would live its last season with Erling Haaland and the Norwegian wants to continue signing spectacular performances in Europe to star in a big transfer next season.
OPTION 3 | Between Milan, Seville, Benfica and Malmo
Inter Milan won the ‘Scudetto’ last season with an extraordinary squad, but due to a financial crisis he had to get rid of several of his figures this summer and also ended his relationship with Antonio Conte, the technician who brought them to Italian glory.
Sevilla and Inter could easily advance to the next round if they are in the same group as Benfica and Malmö, squads that are below in terms of football.