Ronaldo’s Juve get Atletico CL rematch

MONACO (AP):

Missing out on the UEFA Champions League title in his first season at Juventus still pains Cristiano Ronaldo.

Had it not been for the quarter-final loss to Ajax last season, Ronaldo might not have been leaving yesterday’s UEFA group stage draw and awards ceremony empty-handed. So the three-time UEFA player of the year has a renewed hunger heading into the group stage, where Juventus were paired with Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen and Lokomotiv Moscow.

It is a swift reunion with Atletico after their round-of-16 meeting last season, when Cristiano Ronaldo’s second-leg hat trick overturned a 2-0 deficit to send the Italian champions through before they fell to Ajax.

“It’s the hardest competition there is to win,” said Ronaldo, who lifted the European Cup once with Manchester United and four times with Real Madrid. “I’m really up for it.”

But as Ronaldo observed: “The favourite doesn’t always win. Look at Barcelona letting in four at Anfield. Everyone thought we would beat Ajax and we didn’t. The same happened to Madrid.”

Ajax’s astonishing run to the semi-finals saw the Dutch side oust Real Madrid in the last 16. Barcelona looked to be coasting into the final before throwing away a 3-0 lead over Liverpool by losing 4-0 at Anfield.

Liverpool’s surge to a sixth European title helped Virgil van Dijk beat Ronaldo and Messi to UEFA’s player of the year award at the ceremony in Monaco after the group stage draw.

Liverpool’s title defence starts with a group that again includes Napoli, which Jürgen Klopp’s side had to beat last December to advance to the knockout stage. Salzburg, led by American coach Jesse Marsch, and Genk also await in Group E.

“Liverpool, that’s a huge game, a superb team and an unbelievable challenge,” Marsch said. “Napoli are a very tactically organised team, typically Italian. Belgian champions Genk are obviously going to be tough as well.”