JOSE V RONALDO
Just when the United boss thought it couldn’t get any worse, Old Trafford legend returns in Champions League
MANCHESTER UNITED have been drawn in the same Champions League group as Juventus, meaning Jose Mourinho can add the name Cristiano Ronaldo to his Old Trafford worries.
Ronaldo, a £100million summer signing from Real Madrid, is targeting a fourth successive European Cup win and the emotion of his return to another of his former clubs may be lost on Mourinho, whose team are reeling after successive Premier League defeats.
As well as the Italian champions, United were also drawn with Valencia and BSC Young Boys in yesterday’s Monaco draw. Liverpool, last season’s beaten finalists, were pitched into a tough group alongside Paris Saint-Germain, Napoli and Red Star Belgrade.
‘To be 100 per cent honest, it was not that I had a group I wished for or whatever,’ said Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp. ‘I expected a difficult group, we have a difficult group and that’s what the Champions League is all about.’
HISTORY beckons for Manchester City and Pep Guardiola after they were handed the easiest of Champions League draws in Monaco.
But the pressure increased on Guardiola’s rival Jose Mourinho as Manchester United, after a poor start to the Premier League season, face Cristiano Ronaldo returning to Old Trafford with new club Juventus.
United also face Valencia and Switzerland’s Young Boys but the ties against Juventus are going to be marquee occasions — especially because of the match-up between Mourinho and Ronaldo, who joined the Italian champions from Real Madrid for £100million in the summer.
They may share the same agent, Jorge Mendes, but the pair had a fraught relationship when Mourinho managed Real.
Former United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel said: ‘Juventus is probably the hardest team to play against in Europe right now because of the signing of Ronaldo. Everyone sees them as rebuilding the whole Italian football scene again.’
Bookies’ favourites City, who have made an unbeaten start to the defence of their Premier League crown, want to make a serious challenge in Europe after underachieving for a number of seasons. A group involving Shakhtar Donetsk, Lyon and Hoffenheim gives them the best possible chance of progressing to the knockout stages without too much fuss.
It is also an encouraging omen for Guardiola’s European ambitions that they are in Group F, with 40 per cent of Champions League winners — six out of the past 15 — emerging from that group since 2004.
In contrast, Tottenham and Liverpool face difficult draws, like United.
Spurs, who face Barcelona, PSV Eindhoven and Inter Milan in Group B, look like they will be playing most of their home games at Wembley as their new ground is not expected to be ready until December.
UEFA have warned that Tottenham may have to play at Wembley throughout the tournament.
Deputy secretary-general Giorgio Marchetti said: ‘In principle the regulations state that you have to play in a single stadium but we will have to see.’
A spokesman for Inter Milan said: ‘We would probably prefer to play at Wembley because of its history. It would be a nice occasion, but we are happy to play at their new stadium.’
Last season’s finalists Liverpool have a difficult group to negotiate against Paris SaintGermain, Napoli and Red Star Belgrade.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said: ‘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.
‘We beat Napoli in preseason but it goes without saying these two games will be completely different challenges. I watched Red Star come through in qualifying and again it will be a very intense atmosphere.
‘Last season is last season and now we have to do it again.’
Meanwhile. Liverpool’s Mo Salah seemed unperturbed when Real Madrid’s Sergio Ramos tapped him on the shoulder which he dislocated when tangling with the Spanish defender in the final in Kiev last May.
Ramos was returning to his seat behind Salah after receiving his trophy for being UEFA’s defender of the season.
Both players lost out to Real’s Luka Modric in the player of the year award.