Champions League Draw 2016: Schedule, Live Stream, More for Group Announcement
Europe's elite club competition returns in earnest as the UEFA Champions League draw is made in Monaco on Thursday. The group stage will be set as the continent's biggest sides once again battle for one of football's most famous prizes.
Real Madrid are the reigning champions after collecting an unprecedented 11th European Cup last term.
The draw will be missing the illustrious names of Manchester United and Chelsea, who both failed to qualify, but it will include unlikely Premier League winners Leicester City and Primera Division champions Barcelona.
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The tournament's official Twitter feed provided details of how you can watch the draw live anywhere in the world, including timings:
Here is how you can watch the highly anticipated draw on TV and live-streaming services:
Date: Thursday, August 25
Time: 5 p.m. BST/12 p.m. ET
Live Stream: Official UEFA website, Fox Soccer 2GO (U.S.)
TV Info: BT Sport Europe (UK), Fox Sports 1 (U.S.)
Messi Looking to Top Ronaldo
It wasn't a disastrous season for Lionel Messi last time around, but when the Ballon d'Or holder looks toward the Spanish capital at his most fearsome rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, he will see the Champions League trophy in the Portuguese's arms.
The Real Madrid kingpin also picked up international honours thanks to Portugal's stunning success at Euro 2016, and the winger achieved a feat Messi has not: winning a major tournament with his country.
Los Blancos and the Blaugrana will be kept apart in the early stage of the Champions League as teams from the same nation, but the Liga holders cannot tolerate further disappointment in European competition.
Despite his team's failure in Europe last season, Messi once again performed well on the biggest club stage. The Argentina captain scored six goals in seven Champions League appearances, according to WhoScored.com. However, that tally was four short of the previous season.
In comparison, Ronaldo's numbers were extraordinary. The Portugal skipper hit a remarkable 16 goals in only 12 European appearances, per WhoScored.com, as Madrid ran away with the silverware.
Spanish teams' recent success in the Champions League will be challenged by Bayern Munich of Germany and Manchester City of England. The Bundesliga champions lost manager Pep Guardiola to the English side in the summer, and expectations have rocketed at the Etihad Stadium as a result.
Guardiola's knowledge of Spanish sides and the Champions League will be invaluable to the Sky Blues as they attempt to become a genuine force in the competition after reaching the last four in 2015-16.
City have the squad depth to challenge La Liga's best, but the addition of the former Barca coach is priceless.
The Spaniard has recruited John Stones to strengthen his defence, and Barcelona centre-back Gerard Pique believes his former boss will transform the England international's game.
Pique told Marca (h/t Harry West of Goal):
"Stones is a great player, the best central defender England have. I like how he plays, it's a similar style to mine.
Pep will help him to a lot to take a lot of risks with the ball. It's like poker - sometimes, you have to take risks.
But being in defence, you have to control those risks. I think he'll do well.
"
James Robson of the Manchester Evening News also commented on Guardiola's restructuring of City's defence:
Bayern replaced Guardiola with veteran coach Carlo Ancelotti, and the manager who masterminded Real's 10th triumph in the competition has the task of maintaining the German club's place at the top table.
The Bavarians' squad remains strong, as Robert Lewandowski leads the line, and the additions of Mats Hummels and wonderkid Renato Sanches provide the Italian with plenty of scope.
Real and Barca will be many experts' favourites to dominate the competition again, but the power could be shifting to England after the advent of the Premier League's £5.1 billion television deal. The cash gives City unprecedented power in the transfer market, and as United proved by signing Paul Pogba despite being unable to offer Champions League football this term, no player is out of reach for England's most powerful clubs.
Guardiola might need a year to conjure up his best XI, but his squad is set up to give Barca and Real a run for their money this season.
