Feyenoord to face English and German champions; PSV face Liverpool in Champions League
The first draw of the new UEFA Champions League format was made on Thursday. Feyenoord was drawn against English Champions Manchester City and German giants Bayern Munich. PSV will face Liverpool and French Champions Paris Saint Germain.
This season is the first of the new UEFA Champions League format. As opposed to the four-team groups of the past, the competition is now one big league with all 36 teams in it. Every team faces eight sides, with the top eight sides in the league qualifying automatically for the knockout stages. The teams finishing in ninth to 24th place will compete in a two-legged play-off to secure a place in the last 16 of the competition.
Feyenoord’s opponents from the highest tier pot one were Man City and Bayern Munich. They face Bayern Munich at home with an away match scheduled against the English champions. They also face German league champions Bayer Leverkusen at home and travel to Lisbon to face Benfica. Their other fixtures are against Red Bull Salzburg, who knocked out Dutch side FC Twente in the qualifying round a week ago, Lille away, Sparta Prague at home, and Spanish side Girona away.
PSV face Dutch manager Arne Slot’s Liverpool side at home and will travel to French champions Paris Saint Germain. The Eindhovenaren were also drawn to play away against Italian giants Juventus, and they play Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk at home. Their remaining away matches were against Brest in France and Red Star Belgrade in Serbia. They face Portuguese champions Sporting CP at home as well as Spanish side Girona.
The dates for the matches will be released on Saturday.
