The draw for this season’s Champions League group stage took place in Monaco on Thursday. 32 of Europe’s finest clubs entered the draw and were split
ADVERTISEMENTThe draw for this season’s Champions League group stage took place in Monaco on Thursday.
32 of Europe’s finest clubs entered the draw and were split into eight groups of four.
The teams will play each other home and away.
Spain are the first nation to have five teams in the group stage after Sevilla became the first club to qualify as Europa League winners.
England meanwhile have four representatives.
So lets take a look at the groups for Europe’s top club competition this season.
Paris St-Germain, Real Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk and the Swede’s of Malmo make up Group A.
Manchester United will play PSV Eindhoven, CSKA Moscow and Wolfsburg on their return to the competition after a season’s absence.
The draw means United’s summer signing Memphis Depay will face his former club in PSV.
With debutants Astana in Group C there’s a long away trip ahead for Benfica, Atletico Madrid and Galatasaray.
Manchester City face Serie A champions and last season’s losing finalists Juventus, Europa League winners Sevilla and Borussia Monchengladbach.
Defending champs Barcelona, Bayer Leverkusen, AS Roma and BATE Borisov make up Group E while Arsenal will face Bayern Munich for the third time in four seasons after being drawn against the German club in Group F, which also features Olympiakos and Dinamo Zagreb.
Jose Mourinho will return to the club he steered to Champions League success in 2004 after Chelsea were drawn against Porto in Group G.
Dynamo Kiev and Maccabi Tel-Aviv complete that group while Zenit St Petersburg, Valencia, Lyon and Gent make up Group H.
The first match days take place on 15 and 16 September.