Champions League

Round-up: Champions League draw

By Joe Fish, Reporter | 30 August 2012

Sports Mole rounds up the Champions League group-stage draw, where Man City will face Real Madrid and Celtic will play Barcelona in some of the headline matches.

Manchester City have been paired alongside Real Madrid in the headline clash of the Champions League group stage draw.

The Citizens and Los Blancos are joined in 'a group of champions' by Dutch title holders Ajax and Bundesliga winners Borussia Dortmund.

Cross-city rivals Manchester United have been pitted against Portuguese side Braga, Romanian's CFR Cluj and Turkish giants Galatasaray, who are returning to Europe's elite for the first time in six years.

Celtic are ending a four-year absence from the competition and will face a stiff task to progress after being drawn alongside Barcelona, Benfica and Spartak Moscow.

Reigning champions Chelsea's path to the knockout stages will not be a simple one after Serie A winners Juventus and tricky Ukrainian outfit Shakhtar Donetsk followed them into Group E.

Roberto Di Matteo's side will also face Danish rookies FC Midtjylland as they attempt to become the first team to defend the trophy in the Champions League era.

Arsenal complete the British representation in the competition and were drawn in Group B alongside Olympiakos, Schalke 04 and Montpellier, from whom they recruited summer-signing Olivier Giroud.

Full group stage draw:

Group H: Manchester United, Braga, Galatasaray, CFR Cluj

Group G: Barcelona, Benfica, Spartak Moscow, Celtic.

Group F: Bayern Munich, Valencia, Lille, BATE Borisov.

Group E: Chelsea, Shakhtar Donetsk, Juventus, FC Nordsjaelland.

Group D: Real Madrid, Manchester City, Ajax, Borussia Dortmund.

Group C: AC Milan, Zenit St Petersburg, Anderlecht, Malaga.

Group B: Arsenal, Schalke, Olympiakos, Montpellier.

Group A: Porto, Dynamo Kiev, Paris St Germain, Dinamo Zagreb.