Kane can’t wait
Harry Kane has described Tottenham’s Champions League draw as “brilliant”, despite the fact that the north London side must take on Barcelona in group B.
Also drawn with Spurs are Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven and Inter Milan, who finished fourth in Italy’s Serie A.
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“It’s a brilliant draw, games at famous stadiums like the Nou Camp, the San Siro, it’s a really good draw, one to relish,” the England captain said on the Spurs website.
Kane’s confidence stems from Tottenham’s excellent group stage performance in last season’s competition, when they finished top, ahead of Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund.
The English side then lost to Juventus in the last-16, but Kane - who scored seven goals in Tottenham’s run to the knockout phase - believes his team have laid down a marker for this season’s campaign.
“We showed people last season that we can compete at this level, particularly when you look at the games against Real Madrid, who went on to win the tournament,” said Kane, who has scored twice in Tottenham’s unbeaten start to the Premier League season.
“Barca will be a different test but to play in the Nou Camp against some of the best players in the world… it’s fantastic to play in these types of games.
“You want to play in big games against the best players and this draw gives us a chance as a club to once again test ourselves against the best.”
Reds in Paris
Liverpool, last season’s beaten finalists, also have a tough draw in group C, where they will be pitted against Paris Saint-Germain, Napoli and Red Star Belgrade.
“We have a difficult group and that’s what the Champions League is all about,” said Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.
The German took Borussia Dortmund to Naples during his time in charge of the Bundesliga club, so is well aware of what he describes as the “intense” atmosphere generated by the Red Star fans.
But it is the French champions who are expected to prove the biggest test for the Reds.
“PSG are one of the most exciting teams in the world and I think their target is to win the Champions League, so that will be two interesting matches,” Klopp told the official Liverpool website.
“I am looking forward to watching PSG a bit more often, which is a very interesting project over in France with Thomas Tuchel.”
Asked if his squad were under more pressure this season, having reached the final in the previous one, Klopp said: “Yes, but last season is last season and now we have to do it again. That’s normal. All the teams have to do it again.”
City get lucky
Manchester City were handed the best draw for a Premier League club, with clashes against Shakhtar Donetsk, Lyon or Hoffenheim that are unlikely to cause Pep Guardiola any sleepless nights.
Back in the Champions League for the eighth successive season, City have yet to reach the final of Europe’s showpiece competition, and director of football Txiki Begiristain is vowing to do better this season. Last year, City were knocked out by Liverpool in the quarter-finals, 5-1 on aggregate.
“We are getting close, but we want to be closer than last season and we want to be there,” Begiristain told the Daily Mirror. “We have two good players in almost every position, so we are ready to go for everything.”
Ronaldo vs. the Red Devils
Manchester United have been drawn alongside Spain’s Valencia, Swiss champions Young Boys and Juventus, with the Italian side offering Cristiano Ronaldo a chance to return to Old Trafford.
Having moved to Turin from Real Madrid in the summer, the former Red Devil will be relishing the chance to humiliate Jose Mourinho.
The Sun says that their falling-out at Real Madrid in 2013 was “spectacular”, and that the Portuguese manager “cannot stand Ronaldo, blaming his dressing room influence at Real Madrid as one of the reasons behind his ignominious exit”.
United midfielder Paul Pogba will also go up against his former club. The World Cup-winning French player left United for Juve in 2012, before returning to Old Trafford in 2016.
Champions League 2018-2019
Group stage draw
- Group A: Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, AS Monaco, Club Brugge
- Group B: Barcelona, Tottenham, PSV Eindhoven, Inter Milan
- Group C: Paris Saint-Germain, Napoli, Liverpool, Red Star Belgrade
- Group D: Lokomotiv Moscow, FC Porto, Schalke, Galatasaray
- Group E: Bayern Munich, Benfica, AFC Ajax, AEK Athens
- Group F: Manchester City, Shakhtar Donetsk, Lyon, Hoffenheim
- Group G: Real Madrid, AS Roma, CSKA Moscow, Viktoria Plzen
- Group H: Juventus, Manchester United, Valencia, Young Boys
What dates are the Champions League group fixtures?
- 18/19 September: group stage, matchday one
- 2/3 October: group stage, matchday two
- 23/24 October: group stage, matchday three
- 6/7 November: group stage, matchday four
- 27/28 November: group stage, matchday five
- 11/12 December: group stage, matchday six
Champions League key dates
- 17 December: round of 16 draw
- 12/13 and 19/20 February: round of 16, first leg
- 5/6 and 12/13 March: round of 16, second leg
- 15 March: quarter-final and semi-final draw
- 9/10 April: quarter-finals, first leg
- 16/17 April: quarter-finals, second leg
- 30 April/1 May: semi-finals, first leg
- 7/8 May: semi-finals, second leg
When is the 2018-2019 Champions League final?
The final is on Saturday 1 June at the Estadio Metropolitano in Madrid. The 68,000-seat stadium is home of Atletico Madrid.
