Every high-profile return we are going to see in the Champions League group stage

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The Champions League is back and the group stage draw has produced some mouthwatering ties for the coming months.

Last season’s runners-up Liverpool have been harshly rewarded for their run, being put up against Paris-Saint Germain and Napoli as well as Red Star Belgrade in Group C.

Inter Milan’s return to the Champions League brings them up against Barcelona, Tottenham Hotspur and PSV Eindhoven, while Juventus, Manchester United, Valencia and BSC Young Boys have all been grouped together.

As is always the case with the relative openness of the Champions League draw, some of the groups this year will see a handful of players returning to former clubs – whether they left this summer or nine years ago.

Below is every high-profile return we’re looking out for in this season’s Champions League group stages.

1. Cristiano Ronaldo

Current club: Juventus

Returning to: Manchester United

Juventus appearances: 2

Manchester United appearances: 292

It had to happen didn’t it?

With Cristiano Ronaldo having left Real Madrid for Juventus in the summer, fans would have been hoping for a Champions League knock-out round match between the two sides.

But before that can happen, Ronaldo will face up against another former team (and manager). Though Ronaldo may now be synonymous with Real Madrid, the Portuguese superstar rose to prominence in the Premier League with Manchester United.

And for just the second time, Ronaldo has been drawn against the Red Devils having faced them in the 2012/13 Champions League. For both Ronaldo and United fans, this will be a welcome homecoming in a time where happiness is hard to find for the English club.

The draw also sees Ronaldo take on Jose Mourinho, who managed him at Real Madrid.

2. Paul Pogba

Current club: Manchester United

Returning to: Juventus

Manchester United appearances: 98

Juventus appearances: 178

If Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Manchester United wasn’t enough, the two games will also see Paul Pogba return to the club where he became the player he is today.

Though he started off at United, Pogba truly developed in his four years at Juventus into one of the best central midfielders in the world – commanding a then-world record fee in 2016 to rejoin the Red Devils.

While life back in Manchester has not necessarily gone as planned for Pogba, the Frenchman will be looking forward to a first return to Turin to bring back the happy memories of four Serie A titles and two Italian Cups.

3. Edinson Cavani

Current club: Paris Saint-Germain

Returning to: Napoli

PSG appearances: 247

Napoli appearances: 138

Back in the 2011/12 season, Edinson Cavani was part of the Napoli side tearing apart defences alongside fellow ‘Holy Trinity’ members Ezequiel Lavezzi and Marek Hamsik which saw the Uruguayan score 33 goals in 48 games across all competitions.

His performances brought a move to Paris Saint-Germain in 2013 and five years later Cavani will return to the Stadio San Paolo to face his former side.

Napoli are much changed since Cavani’s era, but former team-mate Hamsik remains and it will be a hotly contested tie between Napoli and PSG.

This will also be the first time Cavani has faced Napoli since leaving, though he did go up against them five times for Palermo before joining.

4. Thomas Lemar

Current club: Atletico Madrid

Returning to: Monaco

Atletico Madrid appearances: 3

Monaco appearances: 127

One of the players to immediately return to his former side just months after signing is Thomas Lemar.

The French winger had been a big part of Monaco’s 2016/17 Ligue 1-winning side, alongside the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Bernardo Silva. His performances had him linked with Premier League moves to Liverpool and Arsenal over the past year.

But this summer he finally did leave Monaco, joining Atletico Madrid in what appeared to be a drawn-out deal. And, typically, he will go up against his former club before the end of the year thanks to the Champions League draw.

5. Radamel Falcao

Current club: Monaco

Returning to: Atletico Madrid

Monaco appearances: 104

Atletico Madrid appearances: 91

Atletico Madrid’s group stage matches against Monaco will also see a return for Radamel Falcao, one of many strikers to have increased their abilities at los Rojiblancos.

Falcao spent just two years at Atletico Madrid between 2011 and 2013, joining from Porto, but scored 70 goals in 91 games across all competitions leading the club to the 2012 Europa League and 2013 Copa del Rey trophies.

The Colombian has not had the best time post-Atleti with injuries seriously hurting his career, but Falcao is back close to his best and it will be thrilling to see him test Diego Simeone’s tough defence and go head-to-head with Diego Costa.

6. Philippe Coutinho

Current club: Barcelona

Returning to: Inter Milan

Barcelona appearances: 25

Inter Milan appearances: 47

While Philippe Coutinho will be more closely associated with Liverpool, the Brazilian did have a career before the Reds and will return to one of his former clubs in the Champions League group stages.

Inter Milan were Coutinho’s first European club, initially signing him as a 16-year-old in 2008 though he would not represent the Nerazzurri for another two years.

Now, thanks to his time at Liverpool, Coutinho is one of the most exciting attacking midfielders in Europe and will be looking to make his mark in the Champions League against his former side – facing Inter for the first time.

7. Joao Cancelo

Current club: Juventus

Returning to: Valencia

Juventus appearances: 2

Valencia appearances: 91

Another player to be almost instantly facing his former side is Joao Cancelo, as he is set to return to Valencia with new club Juventus – though the circumstances are slightly different.

Cancelo joined Juventus from Valencia this summer but spent last season on loan in Serie A with Inter Milan, last playing for the Bats in 2017.

The Portuguese full-back spent just three full seasons playing for Valencia, including one on loan from Benfica initially, but will now be returning to the Mestalla hoping to beat his former side.

8. Carlo Ancelotti

Current club: Napoli

Returning to: Paris Saint-Germain

Napoli record: Played 2, Wins 2, Draws 0, Losses 0

PSG record: Played 77, Wins 49, Draws 17, Losses 11

It’s not just players returning to former clubs this year in the Champions League, with Carlo Ancelotti also going up against a side he used to manage.

Ancelotti has managed some of the biggest clubs in Europe during his career so hardly a year goes by without the Italian facing one of his former teams.

In European competitions alone, Ancelotti has gone up against his former sides on eight occasions, including the 2003 Champions League final in which he beat Juventus with AC Milan two years after leaving the Old Lady.

Now with Napoli, Ancelotti has been drawn against PSG in the Champions League group stages, having spent 18 months in Paris winning Ligue 1 in his first full season.

Honourable mentions

Andreas Pereira (Manchester United) vs Valencia, Jason Denayer (Lyon) vs Manchester City, Renato Sanches (Bayern Munich) vs Benfica, Rafinha (Barcelona) vs Inter Milan, Benedikt Howedes (Lokomotiv Moscow) vs Schalke, Olarenwaju Kayode (Shahktar Donetsk) vs Manchester City

The post Every high-profile return we are going to see in the Champions League group stage appeared first on Squawka News.



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