Ajax are to face Liverpool for the second time in three years in the Champions League group stage, while Club Brugge managed to avoid the big favourites in the draw.
With PSV and Union St. Gilloise losing to Rangers in the play-offs, Ajax and Club Brugge are the Netherlands’ and Belgium’s sole representatives in this season’s Champions League.
Given they were in Pot 1 while Club Brugge were in Pot 4, Ajax were likely to get an easier draw than the Pro League champions, but that ultimately didn’t prove to be the case.
The Amsterdam side will face English heavyweights Liverpool for the second time in three years, while Napoli and Rangers, the other sides in Group A, will also prove to be tough opponents.
Comparatively, Club Brugge will be fairly happy with their draw of Porto, Atletico Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen. While all three are strong sides, none are considered favourites for this year’s competition.
GBeNeFN
