Barcelona’s Champions League draw has reunions, revenge and one big test of their European credentials

Barcelona’s Champions League draw has reunions, revenge and one big test of their European credentials Barcelona now know the eight teams standing between them and another place in the Champions League knockout rounds. However, this year’s league-phase draw has produced far more than simply a list of fixtures from the Catalan club’s perspective. Hansi Flick’s side will face Manchester City, Aston Villa, Feyenoord and Como at home, while travelling to face PSG, Sporting CP, Galatasaray and Sabah. On paper, Barcelona should expect to finish inside the top eight. Look beyond the difficulty of the fixtures, though, and there are some fascinating storylines waiting for them. Ferran Torres welcomes Barca wearing PSG colours The obvious headline act is Ferran Torres against Barcelona. After leaving Barca for PSG this summer in a deal worth close to €50 million, Ferran will not have to wait long for a reunion. The difference is that Barça must travel to Paris to face him. Ferran Torres left Barcelona for PSG this summer. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) There is something uncomfortable about this one from a Barcelona perspective. Ferran left after rebuilding his reputation at the club, but his comments surrounding his contract situation also left a sour taste behind. There will therefore be little love lost when the two sides meet. Had the fixture been at the Spotify Camp Nou, the reception could have been particularly hostile. Ferran is also far from the only familiar face in Luis Enrique’s European champions. Ousmane Dembele and Pedro ‘Dro’ Fernandez are former Barcelona players, while Lucas Digne has also joined PSG from Aston Villa. PSG are comfortably the biggest test in this draw. Barça will know Ferran extremely well. Unfortunately, Ferran knows them just as well. Rodri gets his Manchester City reunion Then comes the other side of Barcelona’s summer transfer story. Rodri will face Manchester City only months after leaving the Premier League club for the Blaugrana , and unlike Ferran’s reunion, this one will take place at Camp Nou. Rodri joined Barcelona from Manchester City. (Photo by Lewis Storey/Getty Images) It should immediately become one of the most anticipated nights of the league phase. There is a fascinating tactical element too. Rodri was signed precisely to give Flick greater control, authority and intelligence in midfield. What better European examination than asking him to impose those qualities against the club where he established himself as one of the world’s finest midfielders? Cesc Fabregas comes home Como might not carry the same fear factor, but another reunion awaits. Cesc Fabregas will return to Barcelona as the man leading the Italian side, creating another emotional subplot at the Spotify Camp Nou. Como are making their Champions League debut this season, so facing Barcelona in Catalonia will be a huge occasion for the Italian club and a particularly meaningful one for their manager. Cesc Fabregas faces his boyhood club. (Photo by Timothy Rogers/Getty Images) The two sides met in last summer’s Joan Gamper Trophy match, but that match was not played at the Camp Nou. This will feel completely different. A litmus test for Barca Beyond all the reunions and narratives, Barcelona should be satisfied with this draw. PSG and Manchester City are heavyweight assignments, but neither should frighten a Barça side with genuine ambitions of winning the Champions League. The game against reigning champions PSG early in the competition, in particular, will be circled in red, after the French giants beat the Blaugrana 2-1 last season. The game not only offers Flick & co. a chance for revenge, but will also be a huge test of the team’s credentials on the continental stage. Aston Villa are dangerous, while the remaining five matches are fixtures Flick’s team should approach expecting to win. Trips to Sporting and particularly Galatasaray cannot be underestimated either. Both can provide intimidating European away nights. The objective should be greater than simply qualifying. Barcelona have finished inside the top eight in each of the previous two seasons, securing direct passage into the last 16, and this draw gives them every opportunity to make it three. Between Ferran waiting in Paris, Rodri meeting City and Fabregas coming home, Barcelona have been handed nostalgia, reunions and a little revenge. Now Flick’s team must make sure the football is just as memorable.