#UCLDRAW
2019/20 Champions League groups set; Van Dijk, Messi among UEFA Awards winners
Aug 29, 2019, 2:24 pm
Cristiano Ronaldo and Juventus are among the contenders for the UEFA Champions League trophy. Credit: Adidas
The eight groups for the 2019/20 edition of the UEFA Champions League have been announced following Thursday's draw in Monaco. Teams will face each other home and away over the course of four months with the two group winners advancing to the Round of 16 stage in February.
The 2020 UEFA Champions League Final will take place on May 30 at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey.
The official result of the 2019/20 #UCLdraw! 😍 3⃣ toughest groups are __ __ & __ 🤔 https://t.co/c7Xdro1vhn— #UCLdraw (@#UCLdraw) 1567098115.0
Group A: Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Club Brugge, Galatasaray
Group B: Bayern München, Tottenham Hotspur, Olympiacos, Crvena zvezda
Group C: Manchester City, Shakhtar Donetsk, Dinamo Zagreb, Atalanta
Group D: Juventus, Atlético Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Lokomotiv Moskva
Group E: Liverpool, Napoli, Salzburg, Genk
Group F: Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund, Internazionale Milano, Slavia Praha
Group G: Zenit, Benfica, Lyon, RB Leipzig
Group H: Chelsea, Ajax, Valencia, LOSC Lille
UEFA Awards winners
🥇 #UEFAawards winners! 🥇 Is there a 2020 #UCL winner here? 🤔 https://t.co/S64K0Z8QdB— #UCLdraw (@#UCLdraw) 1567101537.0
A build up to the draw the announcement of the award winners for the previous season. Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk and Alisson, champions after a win over Tottenham Hotspur in this past June, were among those taking home personal honors.
Men's Player of the Year - Virgil van Dijk
Forward of the Season - Leo Messi
Midfielder of the Season - Frenkie de Jong
Defender of the Season - Virgil van Dijk
Goalkeeper of the Season - Alisson Becker
Sights and sounds
Part of the glamour of the draw is how much of a star-studded affair it becomes, the highlight of this year's edition being the reunion of rivals Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Ronaldo: "We've not had dinner together yet, but I hope in the future!" 😃 @Cristiano & Messi at the #UCLdraw 🤜🤛 https://t.co/KOFY8680tU— #UCLdraw (@#UCLdraw) 1567102531.0
Of course, both were flown in via a private helicopter.
🚁 Player of the Year nominee Cristiano Ronaldo has landed in Monaco! 😎 #UEFAawards announced during the #UCLdraw 🔜 https://t.co/td633acvnO— #UCLdraw (@#UCLdraw) 1567093389.0
🚁Leo Messi has landed! #UCLdraw | #UEFAawards https://t.co/TOgXkGp2bx— #UCLdraw (@#UCLdraw) 1567087889.0
The "group of death" may be fitting for Group F where Barcelona, Dortmund and Inter Milan all have cases to advance as top of the group. Czech side Slavia Prague is, without question, the weakest link of the group and their staff know their odds to advance are small.
No te rías... No te rías... No te rías... ¡Nos tocó contra el Barça, Inter y Dortmund! 😭😭😭 https://t.co/STQAfSk2sx— TUDN USA (@TUDN USA) 1567098461.0
Manchester United Legend Eric Cantona was present to receive the President's Award, though you wouldn't guess it was him if you saw him walking down the street.
Eric Cantona has just won the 2019 UEFA President’s Award and accepted it with a speech that rivals the seagulls fo… https://t.co/Vbk9Vs2wrZ— MUNDIAL (@MUNDIAL) 1567096009.0
The UEFA Champions League group stage begins on September 17 and will be broadcast in the United States through the TNT / B/R Live in English and Univision / TUDN in Spanish.
Most Popular
SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome
Listen Live
Oswald Peraza hit a two-run single in the ninth inning to help the Los Angeles Angels snap a three-game losing skid by beating the Houston Astros 4-1 on Saturday night.
Peraza entered the game as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning and hit a bases-loaded fly ball to deep right field that eluded the outstretched glove of Cam Smith. It was the fourth straight hit off Astros closer Bryan Abreu (3-4), who had not allowed a run in his previous 12 appearances.
The Angels third run of the ninth inning scored when Mike Trout walked with the bases loaded.
Kyle Hendricks allowed one run while scattering seven hits over six innings. He held the Astros to 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position, the one hit coming on Jesús Sánchez’s third-inning infield single that scored Jeremy Peña.
Reid Detmers worked around a leadoff walk to keep the Astros scoreless in the seventh, and José Fermin (3-2) retired the side in order in the eighth before Kenley Jansen worked a scoreless ninth to earn his 24th save.
Houston’s Spencer Arrighetti struck out a season-high eight batters over 6 1/3 innings. The only hit he allowed was Zach Neto’s third-inning solo home run.
Yordan Alvarez had two hits for the Astros, who remained three games ahead of Seattle for first place in the AL West.
Key moment
Peraza’s two-run single to deep right field that broke a 1-1 tie in the ninth.
Key Stat
Opponents were 5 for 44 against Abreu in August before he allowed four straight hits in the ninth.
Up next
Astros RHP Hunter Brown (10-6, 2.37 ERA) faces RHP José Soriano (9-9, 3.85) when the series continues Sunday.