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With the Champions League group stage draws being done and dusted, the football world is set for yet another exhilarating campaign. Group B(Barca, Inter, Tottenham, PSV), Group C(Liverpool, Napoli, PSG, Belgrade) and Group H(Man Utd, Juventus, Valencia, Young Boys) in particular, promise to make this year's tournament a special one from the very start.
Homecomings of former players are always emotional for many football fans. There's a pang of sadness mixed coupled with a joy of watching a player return to his former home to play against his ex-teammates. It's a bittersweet feeling.
Courtesy to the lots of the UCL, a number of footballers will be seen giving a visit to their former clubs. Let's have a look at seven of these players who will be returning to the respective places they once called home.
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#7 Rafinha (Inter vs Barcelona)
The Alcantara brothers started as youth prospects at the Nou Camp. While one has turned out to be immensely successful at Barcelona, the other has considerably failed to establish himself into the starting XI.
A meagre number of playing minutes was one of the vital reasons behind Rafinha Alcantara's loan move to Italian giants Inter Milan in the winter last season. He made 17 appearances and found the net twice in the six-month loan spell.
Barcelona are in one of the toughest groups alongside Tottenham, PSV and Inter Milan - now one of Rafinha's former clubs. The Nerrazurri have returned to the UCL after 6 years and will have to face a fine competition in order to advance to the later stages.
Rafinha is far from making it to the starting XI considering the crop of talented midfielders Barcelona currently possess. However, the Brazilian will certainly be a part of the squad that will face Inter at Nou Camp and San Siro.
The amount of his involvement in the clashes remains to be seen, but no doubt the 25-year-old will feel the nostalgia on his return to Italy due to the competition.
#6 Andreas Pereira (Valencia vs Manchester United)
Manchester United's young prospect Andreas Pereira joined Valencia on a season-long loan last season. The Brazilian was particularly impressive in Los Che's impressive 2017/18 campaign.
Pereira's impressive performances have enabled him to stay put and fight for his place in the first team. The 22-year-old will return to his former club in what happens to be his first major Champions League campaign after appearing only once in the tournament in season 2015-16.
Pereira was one of the standout performers in Manchester United's pre-season tour and the fans will be expecting him to replicate the same form when he comes up against his former club.
#5 Thomas Lemar (Monaco vs Atletico Madrid)
Thomas Lemar raised eyebrows of the world's best clubs with his impressive performances in the three-year stint at Monaco from 2015 to 2018. He joined Atletico Madrid this summer and will be more than keen to replicate his heroics in Spain.
An early test he has been put up against is facing the club that made him a superstar; Thomas Lemar will be crucial for Atleti when they face Monaco at the Wanda Metropolitano and the Stade Louis II in the UCL. The Frenchman appeared 127 times for Les Rouges et Blancs and scored 22 goals.
He was also a part of France's World Cup-winning squad this summer albeit his contributions were far from satisfying. Only time will tell whether AS Monaco will be able to contain and neutralize the beast they created, in the Champions League this year.
#4 Fernandinho (Shakhtar Donetsk vs Manchester City)
The Champions League group stage draws this season have ensured that Brazilian anchorman Fernandinho will visit the Donbass Arena, the home of Ukraninan heavyweights Shakhtar Donetsk.
The Brazilian served Shakhtar from 2005 to 2013, turning out 284 times for the club and scoring 53 goals. Ever since his move to Premier League champions Manchester City the 33-year-old has transitioned into one of the finest players in his position.
Fernandinho did shine in a 2-0 against his former club when they visited the Etihad Stadium. But, in the return fixture that was his first homecoming, the Citizens endured a 2-1 loss.
Shakhtar holds a special place in Fernandinho's heart given the beautiful times he enjoyed there, but the Brazilian will be more than keen to emerge as a victor when he visits the Donbass Arena this season.
#3 Edinson Cavani (Napoli vs PSG)
During his time in Naples, Edinson Cavani established himself as one of the best strikers of the current generation. The Uruguayan was a massive hit with Napoli, scoring 30+ goals in his each of his 3 seasons with the club. He found the net 104 times in 138 games for the Ciucciarelli.
Amongst a number of homecomings of superstars that the Champions League has ensured this season, Edi Cavani's will be one you shouldn't miss. The 31-year-old will return to Stadio San Paolo after five years, as Paris Saint Germain's record goalscorer of all time.
Napoli vs PSG per se will be one of the group stage clashes to watch out for. Edinson Cavani will definitely have the maximum share of the spotlight and it remains to be seen whether he can etch his name over the clash by doing what he always does best - scoring goals.
#2 Paul Pogba (Juventus vs Manchester United)
Paul Pogba's famous fall out with the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson is common knowledge for football fans. Manchester United lost the Frenchman on a free transfer to Juventus in 2012.
Pogba left no stone unturned in proving how wrong United were in cashing in on him. An instant hit with the Bianconeri fans, he played a crucial role in Juve's road to the finals in the UCL 2015.
The same competition has now put Paul Pogba on a tough emotional test: facing the club where he grew up to be the man.
With the Red Devils already under pressure after losing two of their opening three games in the league, they will be under increased pressure to perform in one of the toughest groups of the competition.
When Mourinho and co visit his former rivals in Turin, Pogba will shoulder a mammoth pressure to deliver given his intermittent performances and the prospect of facing the club that transformed him into a top-notch footballer.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United vs Juventus)
Juventus being drawn in the same group as Manchester United will mean another bitter-sweet experience for the Red Devil fans. Cristiano Ronaldo will be coming home to Old Trafford for the second time since saying goodbye to the club in 2009.
He faced United for the first time back in 2013, playing the most crucial part as Real Madrid trumped his former club to advance to the quarterfinals.
If you might remember, Ronaldo was under the spotlight and an added amount of pressure as he was facing his former club. This year, he faces a different challenge where the opponents remain the same, but his allegiance has changed.
With Juventus set to face Man United twice in the group stages, the eyes will once again be on Cristiano Ronaldo to see if he can repeat history and trounce United with his new club.
