Familiar faces thrown together in Champions League group draw

Sport360 staff 20:55 28/08/2014
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  • Team to beat: Real Madrid will be hoping to defend their Champions League trophy this year.

    Liverpool will have the a glamorous return to the Champions League after being drawn against holders Real Madrid in the group stage.

    Five-times European champions Liverpool will face 10-times winners face Real as well as Basle and Ludogorets – the Bulgarian side who had a fairy-tale win in the play-offs – in Group B while there was a familiar look to the draw for the three other English sides.

    Manchester City have perhaps the toughest group – they will face Bayern Munich for the third time in four years – plus CSKA Moscow and Roma in Group E, while Arsenal will play Borussia Dortmund for the second year running as well as Galatasaray and Anderlecht in Group D.

    In Group G, Chelsea will play German side Schalke for the second consecutive season plus Sporting Lisbon and Maribor.

    Real Madrid may be a daunting prospect for Brendan Rodgers' side, but Liverpool beat the Spanish giants 5-0 on aggregate in 2009 including a 4-0 hammering at Anfield.

    The draw in full…

    Group A
    Atletico Madrid
    Juventus
    Olympiacos
    Malmo

    Group B
    Real Madrid
    Basel
    Liverpool
    Ludogorets

    Group C
    Benfica
    Zenit St. Petersburg 
    Bayer Leverkusen 
    Monaco

    Group D
    Arsenal 
    Borussia Dortmund 
    Galatasaray 
    Anderlecht

    Group E
    Bayern Munich 
    Man City 
    CSKA Moscow 
    Roma

    Group F
    Barcelona 
    PSG 
    Ajax 
    Apoel Nicosia

    Group G
    Chelsea 
    Schalke 04 
    Sporting 
    Maribor

    Group H
    FC Porto 
    Shakhtar Donetsk 
    Athletic Bilbao 
    BATE

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