Monaco, Aug 31 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Reigning champions Chelsea face tricky matches in the group stages of the Champions League while Spanish champions Real Madrid were drawn against Manchester City, Ajax and Borussia Dortmund in the group of death.
Chelsea claimed the title for the first time in Munich in May and now aim to become the first club to win the competition in successive seasons since AC Milan in 1989 and 1990, reports Xinhua.
They are in group E along with Ukraine champions Shakhtar Donetsk, Italian giants Juventus and Danish side Nordsjaelland.
In what is likely to be dubbed the group of death, four champions face off as England’s Man City, Real Madrid, Germany’s Borussia Dortmund and Ajax of the Netherlands clash.
Zenit St. Petersburg are to play AC Milan and their other opponents in Group C will be Anderlecht of Belgium and Spanish side Malaga.
Making their first Champions League group stage appearance since 2007, Spartak Moscow face an uphill struggle against Barcelona and Benfica.
Scottish champions Celtic also await the Russians, who feature former Bhoy Aiden McGeady in their squad.
Last season’s beaten finalists Bayern Munich were drawn against Valencia in a repeat of the 2001 final, and will also play France’s Lille and BATE Borisov of Belarus.
Manchester United escaped the strongest sides in the draw, drawn against Braga of Portugal, Turkey’s Galatasaray and Romanian side CFR Cluj.
Arsenal face Germany’s Schalke in Group E, with Greek side Olympiacos and French champions Montpellier their other opponents.
In their first Champions League appearance for eight seasons, France’s big-spending Paris Saint-Germain were drawn against 2004 champions Porto and Dynamo Kiev of Ukraine, as well as Croatia’s Dinamo Zagreb.
–IANS/RIA Novosti
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