Missing out on the Champions League title in his first season at Juventus still pains Cristiano Ronaldo.
Had it not been for the quarterfinal loss to Ajax last season, Ronaldo might not have been leaving Thursday's UEFA group stage draw and awards ceremony empty-handed.
So the three-time UEFA player of the year has a renewed hunger heading into the group stage, where Juventus were paired with Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen and Lokomotiv Moscow.
It is a swift reunion with Atletico after their round-of-16 meeting last season, when Cristiano Ronaldo's second-leg hat trick overturned a 2-0 deficit to send the Italian champions through before they fell to Ajax.
Ajax's astonishing run to the semi-finals saw the Dutch side oust Real Madrid in the last 16. Barcelona looked to be coasting into the final before throwing away a 3-0 lead over Liverpool by losing 4-0 at Anfield.
Liverpool's surge to a sixth European title helped Virgil van Dijk beat Ronaldo and Messi to UEFA's player of the year award at the ceremony in Monaco after the group stage draw.
Liverpool’s title defense starts with a group that again includes Napoli, which Juergen Klopp’s side had to beat last December to advance to the knockout stage. Salzburg, led by American coach Jesse Marsch, and Genk also await in Group E.
For Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City — among the biggest spending teams of the last decades thanks to investment by state-linked ownership from the Persian Gulf — the quest for a first Champions League title will have contrasting assignments.
Tough for PSG after being paired in a group with a Real Madrid side chasing a record-extending 14th European crown. Relatively straightforward for City, which were placed in a group that doesn’t have any former champions and includes newcomer Atalanta.
In Group A, PSG will also face Club Brugge and Galatasaray. In Group C, City will also take on Shaktar Donetsk and Dinamo Zagreb while facing doubts about its Champions League participation next season as the Abu Dhabi-owned team is investigated for Financial Fair Play breaches.
One of the most eye-catching groups is F. Barcelona, which won the competition for the last time in 2015, was paired with former finalists Borussia Dortmund and Inter Milan, alongside Slavia Prague.
Bayern Munich, which have won the European Cup five times like Barcelona, are in Group B with beaten 2019 finalist Tottenham, Olympiakos and Red Star Belgrade.
Ajax, which had to go through qualifying to reach the group stage, were drawn with Chelsea, which qualified as Europa League champion, Valencia and Lille in Group H.
Group G seems the least appealing for global television audiences: Zenit St. Petersburg, Benfica, Lyon and Leipzig.
The final is at Istanbul’s Atatürk Olympic Stadium on May 30.
Full Draw
- Group A: Paris Saint-Germain (FRA), Real Madrid (ESP), Club Brugge (BEL), Galatasaray (TUR)
- Group B: Bayern Munich (GER), Tottenham (ENG), Olympiakos (GRE), Red Star Belgrade (SRB)
- Group C: Manchester City (ENG), Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR), Dinamo Zagreb (CRO), Atalanta (ITA)
- Group D: Juventus (ITA), Atletico Madrid (ESP), Bayer Leverkusen (GER), Lokomotiv Moscow (RUS)
- Group E: Liverpool (ENG), Napoli (ITA), Red Bull Salzburg (AUT), Genk (BEL)
- Group F:Barcelona (ESP), Borussia Dortmund (GER), Inter Milan (ITA), Slavia Prague (CZE)
- Group G: Zenit Saint-Petersburg (RUS), Benfica (POR), Lyon (FRA), RB Leipzig (GER)
- Group H: Chelsea (ENG), Ajax (NED), Valencia (ESP), Lille (FRA)
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