Champions League: favorites, must-see matches, away goal… The guide for the 2021-2022 season – franceinfo

The great return of starry evenings. The kickoff of the Champions League season will be on Tuesday, September 14, at 6:45 p.m. The Young Boys of Bern, Manchester United, Sevilla and Salzburg will open the ball. From favorites to novice, through the shocks to note in the calendar, here is the information to remember before this new season.

Chelsea, PSG and Manchester City favorites

A throne to keep. Holder of the title, Chelsea appears as a logical candidate for his own succession. The group that won at the end of the 100% English final last May has strengthened this summer with the arrivals of Romelu Lukaku and Saul Niguez in particular. Thomas Tuchel, who lives his first start to the season on the bench of the Blues, will be able to work from start to finish with his men to get a double that has not been achieved since Real Madrid between 2016 and 2018.

It is impossible not to mention Paris Saint-Germain among the favorites to go and lift the cup. After a summer agitated by a galactic transfer window, with the arrivals of Lionel Messi, Sergio Ramos, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Georginio Wijnaldum and Hachraf Hakimi, the club of the capital has, on paper, a squad cut out for the final victory.

Finally, Manchester City could still and also have a say this season. The English champion remains on a defeat in the final and is still chasing his first title in C1. To do this, the Citizens signed the most expensive recruit of the summer, Jack Grealish, from Aston Villa (118 million euros).

Sheriff Tiraspol, the novice

The surprising Sheriff Tiraspol will live his first group stage of the Champions League, after a real obstacle course. The Moldovans went through three qualifying rounds and a jump-off, during which they notably eliminated Red Star Belgrade (Serbia) and Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia), regulars in the group stage. They will face Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Shaktar Donetsk in Group D, for three prestigious matches.

History makers!

Sheriff = the first Moldovan side to feature in the #UCL Group Stage pic.twitter.com/Pp0DWB0czQ

– UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) August 25, 2021

The drawing of lots gave birth to some raised groups, with posters of choice. From the first day, six former winners of the competition will compete. On September 14, Barcelona receive Bayern Munich in the shock of group E (return on December 8). The next day, September 15, Real Madrid will face Inter Milan and AC Milan will challenge Liverpool (returns on December 7).

In Group A, PSG and Manchester City will cross swords on the second day in a remake of the last semi-final, September 28 (return November 24). The same evening, AC Milan will face Atletico Madrid (return November 24). On September 29, it is the match at the top of Group H between Juventus and Chelsea, holder of the title (return on November 23).

Finally, on October 19, on behalf of the third day, Liverpool move on the lawn of Atletico Madrid (return on November 3).

Where and when will the final be played?

The final will be played on May 28, 2022 at Gazprom Arena in Saint Petersburg, home of the Zenit club. With a capacity of 68,134 seats, it has already hosted 7 matches of the 2018 World Cup, including the winning half of France, and 7 matches of the Euro last summer.

The rule to remember: the end of the away goal

This new season is already marked by an important change: the end of the away goal rule, endorsed by UEFA last June. From now on, the teams tied at the end of regulation time will play an extra time of two times 15 minutes, before a potential penalty shootout. This protocol was already applied during the qualifying rounds and play-offs this summer.

⚽ The away goals rule will be removed from all UEFA club competitions from the 2021/22 season.

Ties in which the two teams score the same number of goals over the two legs will now have two 15-minute periods of extra time, and, if required, penalty kicks.#UCL #UWCL #UEL #UYL

– UEFA (@UEFA) June 24, 2021