Will the 'ex-player curse' hit? Top reunions in the UCL group stage | OneFootball

The Champions League league phase draw has set the table for the 36 participating clubs in the tournament.

With each team's opponents now defined, we already know we'll witness some memorable reunions.

And we're not just talking about Manchester City and Real Madrid, who will face each other for the sixth time in the last seven seasons.

Some players will face their former clubs in this league phase, getting the chance to make the famous 'ex's law' count.

Some of them have just transferred, making the reunion even more significant.

Check out below some matchups that will deserve our attention in this league phase:

Trent Alexander-Arnold ⚔️ Liverpool

Trained at Liverpool, the full-back left the club, leaving some fans upset with the way he handled the situation.

Now he will return to Anfield as an opponent and is unlikely to receive a warm welcome.

Hugo Ekitike ⚔️ Eintracht Frankfurt

The striker racked up goals during the campaign that took Eintracht to the Champions League last season.

But he will be a rival of the German club in the tournament and will face his former teammates in Frankfurt.

Kevin de Bruyne ⚔️ Manchester City

A Manchester City legend, the midfielder will experience a special moment playing at the Etihad Stadium as an opponent.

He played over 400 games for the English club, and right in his first season for Napoli, he will find out how tough it is to face Pep Guardiola's team.

Kylian Mbappé ⚔️ Monaco

Mbappé made his name in the world wearing Monaco's shirt and has already faced the club several times in Ligue 1, playing for PSG.

But this will be the first time the striker meets his former team in a Champions League match.

Romelu Lukaku ⚔️ Chelsea

Lukaku also has plenty of experience facing Chelsea, who sold him to Napoli, his current club, a year ago.

But it will also be the first time the Belgian will face the English team in the Champions League.

Erling Haaland ⚔️ Borussia Dortmund

The striker has already faced Borussia Dortmund twice during the group stage of the 2022/23 season.

This time, the reunion will take place at the Etihad Stadium, where the Norwegian scored his only goal against BVB almost three years ago.

David Neres ⚔️ Benfica

The Brazilian left Benfica a year ago and stood out in his first season at Napoli.

After winning the Italian Championship, he will return to Portugal as an opponent.

Álvaro Carreras ⚔️ Benfica

Another reunion at Estádio da Luz, this time involving a player who has just left the club.

The full-back was signed for a hefty fee by Real Madrid and is taking his first steps at the Spanish club.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.

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