UEFA Champions League: Group stage draws revealed, Manchester City take on Borussia Dortmund and more

The Champions League group stage draw got underway in Istanbul, Turkey, with some of the most successful European teams going up against equally formidable opponents for the pleasure of fans all over the world. 

The reigning champions Real Madrid found themselves in Group F among the likes of Shakhtar Donetsk, Celtic and RB Leipzig. Last year’s finalists Liverpool, on the other hand, joined Ajax, Napoli and Rangers in Group A.

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Group B featured Bayer Leverkusen, Atletico Madrid, Club Brugge and FC Porto. While Group D will see Eintracht Frankfurt, Tottenham Hotspur, Sporting Lisbon and Marseille lock horns with each other on the football pitch.

Group E will witness Chelsea, AC Milan, Salzburg and Dinamo Zagreb go toe-to-toe against each other. Group G houses the Premier League kingpins Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund, Sevilla and Copenhagen. The final group in the tournament will see PSG, Benfica, Juventus and Maccabi Haifa.

In addition to the group stage draws, UEFA also went on to honour players and managers with awards, recognizing their performances over the course of the last season.

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Kevin De Bruyne, Thibaut Courtois and Karim Benzema were nominated for the title of UEFA Men’s Player of the Year. However, it was the Real Madrid striker who walked away with the title. The title of the Women’s Player of the Year, on the other hand, was conferred upon Barcelona’s Alexia Putellas.

Carlos Ancelloti, who led Real Madrid’s charge to La Liga and Champions League glory, was honoured with the title of UEFA Men’s Coach of the Year. The Women’s Coach of the Year accolade was picked up by Sarina Wiegman, who spearheaded England’s Euro 2022 win.