European champions Barcelona drew Inter, moneybags Real Madrid pulled AC Milan, while Manchester United will take on German surprise package Wolfsburg after the Champions League group stage draw was made on Thursday.
This season sees nine former champions go into action in the 32-team format split into eight groups of four, while the quartets of teams from England and Spain will battle for an historic 13th triumph, both countries having polished off a round dozen to date.
Group A pits four-time champions Bayern Munich against two-time winners Juventus, French champions Bordeaux and Maccabi Haifa of Israel.
In Group B, Manchester United, European champions in 1968, 1999 and 2007 and beaten finalists last season, will go up against German champions Wolfsburg, Turkey’s Besiktas and CSKA Moscow.
“These are difficult ties, especially the trips to Russia and Turkey,” United manager Sir Alex Ferguson said.
Former United star Cristiano Ronaldo’s Real Madrid will have to joust with seven-time champions AC Milan in Group C, meaning an early return to the San Siro for Brazilian Kaka.
Marseille, the only French side ever to lift the trophy, and outsiders FC Zurich of Switzerland complete the group.
Chelsea, bidding for a first crown under former AC Milan handler Carlo Ancelotti, are seeded in Group D where they meet two-time champions Porto, Atletico Madrid and Cypriots APOEL Nicosia.
“We are always looking to go one step further in Europe,” Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon said. “There is not too much travel and we managed to avoid one of the bigger teams.”
Liverpool, who humiliated Real last season, will play in Group E along with French side Lyon, who have never been past the quarters, Fiorentina of Italy and Debrecen of Hungary.
“In the Champions League there will always be difficult games and tough teams to play against,” Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez said. “Lyon might not have won the league last season, but before that they won it many years in a row, so we know they have lots of good players who can play good football.”
Holders Barcelona will play in Group F along with Italian champions Inter, who won the last of their two European crowns in 1965 and are coached by former Barca assistant and former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho.
Those encounters also mean a swift return to the Nou Camp for Cameroon striker Samuel Eto’o, who twice lifted the Cup with the Catalan club.
Swedish forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who went the other way, will likewise get to renew old acquaintances back at the San Siro.
Dynamo Kiev and Russian champions Kazan complete the group.
Seville of Spain will compete in Group G alongside Glasgow Rangers, Germany’s VfB Stuttgart and Romania’s Unirea Urziceni.
Arsenal were drawn in Group H with AZ Alkmaar of the Netherlands, Greek side Olympiakos and Belgium’s Standard Liege.
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