Liverpool and Man Utd get Champions League lift following Chelsea’s victory.
Both Liverpool and Manchester United have seen their possibilities of landing a Champions League group of death next season somewhat lessened after Chelsea won this year’s Champions League competition.
The Blues beat Manchester City 1-0 in Saturday’s night’s final in Porto, where Kai Havertz’s first-half goal was sufficient to get the better of Pep Guardiola’s team.
The victory ensured Chelsea’s second Champions League title nine years after their first, which they won by defeating Bayern Munich in the German side’s home ground back in 2012.
City – who have still yet to win the Champions League in the club’s records – can at least soothe themselves with the Premier League title they won this season, Guardiola’s third English top-flight victory in the past four campaigns.
That success has put City into Pot 1 for next season’s Champions League, which is full of the winners of the top six rated domestic leagues – Spain, England, Italy, Germany, France, and Portugal – and this season’s winners of the two European competitions.
As the new European champions and competition holders, Chelsea also enter Pot 1 along with Villarreal, who beat Manchester United on penalties to win the Europa League on Wednesday.
After that defeat United were confirmed in Pot 2 along with Liverpool, who take their place in the top-ranking non-champions Pot due to their UEFA coefficient ranking in the last five years.
ALSO READ:
- Solskjaer explains his decision on the Europa League penalty shootout defeat.
- Rio Ferdinand issues his verdict on Man United first-choice goalkeeper next season after David de Gea Europa final penalty miss.
- Marcus Rashford holds a ‘surreal’ Zoom call with Barack Obama.
- Ole Gunnar Solskjaer reveals Man United’s four transfer priorities following the Europa League defeat.
Had they lost the final then Chelsea would have also moved to Pot 2, and that could have possibly caused a headache for the three English teams within it, as it would have knocked the dangerous Borussia Dortmund down to Pot 3.
With Premier League teams inefficient to draw each other, Chelsea, Liverpool and United were staring at the likelihood of a bummer group starring both Dortmund and another tough contestant such as Atletico Madrid or Inter Milan.
But with Dortmund now in Pot 2, that means the only English team they could draw in the group stages will be Manchester City.
United will certainly have their eye on Villarreal as they seek some Champions League revenge for their Europa League disappointment, and neither they nor Liverpool are likely to be too concerned about the possibility of playing the La Liga side, French champions Lille or Portuguese title holders Sporting CP in the group stages.
Certainly, it is reasonably Chelsea and City who could face a tougher task in their group should they be pulled against a Pot 2 opponent such as Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus, or Paris Saint-Germain.
Pot 1 (confirmed)
Atletico Madrid, Man City, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, Lille, Sporting CP, Chelsea, Villarreal
Pot 2 (confirmed*)
Liverpool, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain, Sevilla, Manchester United, Borussia Dortmund
Pot 3 (provisional)
Ajax, RB Leipzig, Atalanta, Porto, Zenit St Petersburg
ALSO READ:
- Manchester United Europa League loss could deliver Liverpool Champions League blow.
- Sadio Mane’s bizarre Ismaila Sarr message reignites Liverpool transfer thought.
- Jurgen Klopp Liverpool transfer forecast becomes genuine as Man United fans detect Konate problem.
- Man Utd handend Cristiano Ronaldo transfer optimism as Juventus backtrack on Andrea Pirlo promise.
LIKE OUR: FACEBOOK PAGE JOIN OUR: Telegram Group.
JOIN OUR: Facebook Group. JOIN OUR: Telegram Channel.
Liverpool and Man Utd get Champions League lift following Chelsea’s victory.
