As fulfilling as the 2020/21 season turned out to be for Inter as it lifted its 19th Scudetto title after a ten-year wait, there were still a few what-ifs lingering around Antonio Conte’s reign in Milan. The Nerazzurri had crashed out of the Champions League group stage in both years of his tenure, including an embarrassing fourth-place finish the same season Inter won the league. With Conte now long gone, it’s now up to Simone Inzaghi to avenge Inter’s European reputation. We’ll find out shortly who the Nerazzurri will be meeting Tuesday and Wednesday nights for the next couple of months. After the conclusion of the Champions League’s play-off round yesterday, attention has turned to Istanbul for today’s group stage draw. Action will begin at 6:00 PM Central European Time and noon Eastern.

Seeding is determined by UEFA’s club coefficient. Inter is currently ranked 4th of all Italian clubs in 26th, behind Juve, Roma, and Napoli but one spot ahead of Atalanta. As Serie A champions Inter is in Pot One, a welcome change from several years of Pot Three imprisonment. But by no means does a Pot One berth mean Inter will get an easy draw (as we know all too well). Pot Two, with teams like PSG, Liverpool, and Real Madrid, is just as strong as Pot One so there’s no chance of a straightforward group. It’s Pot Three that will have Inter most concerned, featuring the likes of Ajax, Porto, RB Leipzig, Benfica (go ahead and put money on a Joao Mario brace on Matchday 6), and our very good friends Shakhtar Donetsk.

A dream draw would include Sevilla or Borussia Dortmund from Pot 2, Zenit or Salzburg from Pot Three, and Sheriff Tiraspol from Pot Four. A group of death (in other words, the draw Inter will get) boasts a group of PSG, RB Leipzig, and Club Brugge or Dynamo Kyiv.

Pots

Pot One: Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Manchester City, Atlético Madrid, Villarreal, Inter Milan, Sporting Lisbon, Lille

Pot Two: Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool, Sevilla, Borussia Dortmund

Pot Three: Porto, Ajax, RB Leipzig, Atalanta, Zenit Saint Petersburg, Benfica, RB Salzburg, Shakhtar Donetsk

Pot Four: AC Milan, Club Brugge, Wolfsburg, Young Boys, Malmö, Beşiktaş, Dynamo Kiev, Sheriff Tiraspol

Results

Group A: Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, RB Leipzig, Club Brugge

Group B: Atlético Madrid, Liverpool, FC Porto, AC Milan

Group C: Sporting Lisbon, Borussia Dortmund, Ajax, Besiktas

Group D: Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk, Sheriff Tilaspor

Group E: Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Benfica, Dynamo Kiev

Group F: Villarreal, Manchester United, Atalanta, Young Boys

Group G: LOSC Lille, Sevilla, Salzburg, Wolfsburg

Group H: Chelsea, Juventus, Zenit, Malmo

Schedule

Matchday 1: September 14-15

Matchday 2: September 28-29

Matchday 3: October 19-20

Matchday 4: November 2-3

Matchday 5: November 23-24

Matchday 6: December 7-8

Who do you want to see Inter draw? Any teams the Nerazzurri have to avoid? Let us know in the comments below and follow along as the draw comes out.