Champions League 2021-22 draw: group stage analysis and predictions

Manchester City are in the toughest group, United’s is tricky and all the teams in Liverpool’s have reached the final

Group A is by by some distance the toughest, featuring the defeated finalist of the past two seasons, plus RB Leipzig, who reached the semi-final two seasons ago. There will be a repeat of last season’s semi-final, in which Manchester City comfortably overcame Paris Saint-Germain in a battle of two mega-rich petro-clubs. City’s problem tends to come later in the competition as Pep Guardiola overthinks a major tie, but for once progress will not be straightforward against a PSG now bolstered by Lionel Messi and, perhaps more consequentially, Achraf Hakimi, Sergio Ramos and Gini Wijnaldum. Leipzig may not quite be so strong this season, in transition after Jesse Marsch replaced Julian Nagelsmann as coach, while Dayot Upamecano and Ibrahmim Konaté have left. Club Brugge have never made it through the group stage.

Related: Champions League: Manchester City draw PSG, Liverpool land in tough group

Related: Pep Guardiola has built City’s legacy but both still want the Champions League | Will Unwin

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