Although Liverpool will fancy their chances against anyone in this season’s Champions League, the draw for its group stage probably could’ve been kinder to them
Liverpool were assigned to pot three for the draw in Monaco and ended up in the same group as Paris Saint-Germain, Napoli and Red Star Belgrade. Most will expect them to make the knockout stages but given the calibre of their opponents, Jürgen Klopp’s side don’t exactly have it easy.
Shortly after the last balls were pulled from their perspex bowls in Monaco’s Grimaldi Forum, Liverpool were involved in another draw – for the third round of the Carabao Cup.
The eight-time winners of the competition will host Chelsea at Anfield on the week commencing September 24, a game which looks set to kick off a hectic spell for the Reds.
The Carabao Cup game with Chelsea will follow a league meeting between the two sides at Stamford Bridge on September 29. They are scheduled to host champions Manchester City the following Sunday (October 7), but this game will now come after a midweek Champions League trip to Napoli on October 3.
It’s therefore possible that Liverpool’s meeting with City – a game which could prove extremely important by the end of the season – will be their fourth in just eleven days.
Elsewhere in the Carabao Cup draw, holders Manchester City face a trip to League One Oxford United, while Manchester United will take on Frank Lampard’s Derby County at Old Trafford.
Arsenal, who lost to City in last season’s final, face Brentford while Tottenham will host Watford.
