Pep Guardiola and Lionel Messi will go up against each other in the Champions League after Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain were drawn into the same group.
Messi and Guardiola enjoyed a close relationship during their time together at Barcelona, but for the first time they will meet with neither of them representing the Catalans.
Six-time Ballon d Or winner Messi left Barca at the end of June when his contract expired, and while he was expected to sign on with them again, the Blaugrana s hands were tied due to financial restrictions.
As such, Messi was swiftly snapped up by PSG despite previous links with City and a potential Guardiola reunion.
Another narrative could yet enter the conversation with respect to City versus PSG, as Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo – Messi s long-time rival – has been strongly with a move to the Etihad Stadium.
If Ronaldo does not leave Juve, he will go up against the holders Chelsea – who beat City in last season s final – in Group H.
6 Lionel Messi has scored more goals against Manchester City than any other player in the UEFA Champions League, netting six in six appearances against them. Nemesis.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe)
There will be a repeat of the 2020-21 Europa League final in Group F as Manchester United have been offered the opportunity for revenge against Villarreal, who defeated Ole Gunnar Solskjaer s men in a remarkable penalty shoot-out in Belfast at the end of May.
Three of Spain s other representatives have tough groups to contend with: Barcelona were drawn with Bayern Munich, Benfica and Dynamo Kiev; Real Madrid will again face Inter and Shakhtar Donetsk as they did in 2020-21; and Atletico Madrid must go up against Liverpool, Porto and Milan.
Sevilla, on the other hand, are in the seemingly even Group G with Ligue 1 winners Lille, Salzburg and Wolfsburg, the latter of whom are back in the competition for only the third time.
First-time qualifiers Sheriff of Moldova joined Madrid, Inter and Shakhtar in Group D.
5 The five meetings in European competition between Manchester United and Villarreal have all ended in draws, with four of them goalless, except for last season s UEFA Europa League final (1-1), which the Spaniards won 11-10 on penalties. Stalemate.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe)
Group A: Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, RB Leipzig, Club Brugge
Group B: Atletico Madrid, Liverpool, Porto, Milan
Group C: Sporting CP, Borussia Dortmund, Ajax, Besiktas
Group D: Inter, Real Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk, Sheriff
Group E: Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Benfica, Dynamo Kiev
Group F: Villarreal, Manchester United, Atalanta, Young Boys
Group G: Lille, Sevilla, Salzburg, Wolfsburg
Group H: Chelsea, Juventus, Zenit, Malmo
