NAPLES, ITALY - DECEMBER 01: Medhi Benatia of Juventus looks on before the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and Juventus at Stadio San Paolo on December 1, 2017 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)
Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images
The draw for the league phase of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League took place earlier today and Real Madrid have learned their first eight opponents of the competition.
The Merengues, who were booted out at the quarter-final stages last term, have been handed a tricky draw as they take on several challenging opponents, including Manchester City and Liverpool.
Real Madrid will also face Juventus, Benfica, Marseille, Olympiacos, AS Monaco, and newbies Kairat Almaty from Kazakhstan in the first phase of the Champions League.
Following the event, Marseille sporting director Medhi Benatia spoke to the media, reacting to the Ligue 1 club drawing some top-tier opponents, including Real Madrid, Liverpool, and Newcastle United.
The former AS Roma and Juventus defender admitted that Marseille have a serious challenge ahead of them, while recollecting how he had not had the best of time when he faced Real Madrid as a player in the past.
MADRID, SPAIN - APRIL 11: Medhi Benatia of Juventus battles for possesion with Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid during the UEFA Champions League Quarter Final Second Leg match between Real Madrid and Juventus at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on April 11, 2018 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
Medhi Benatia facing Real Madrid as a Juventus player. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
“We’re here, we want to stay here, that’s the most important thing. When you play matches like these, against Newcastle, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Bruges. Obviously, I don’t have fond memories of Real Madrid…,” he said, as quoted by Alfredo Pedulla.
“There will be some difficult challenges, but you want to win and put in some good performances. We know we won’t win it, we won’t lack humility, but we have a team that is capable, it’s a great honour, we know it will be difficult,” he added.
It must be remembered that Benatia and Marseille were recently in negotiations with Real Madrid over a possible deal for Dani Ceballos.
With an agreement being close, the Real Madrid midfielder performed a U-turn and decided he did not want to join the Ligue 1 club.
NYON, SWITZERLAND - AUGUST 08: Draw balls are shuffled during the 2014/15 UEFA Champions League Play-off round draw at the UEFA headquarters, The House of European Football on August 8, 2014 in Nyon, Switzerland. (Photo by Harold Cunningham/Getty Images)
Photo by Harold Cunningham/Getty Images