Seven-times European title holders Milan, knocked out of the Champions League by Barcelona in the last two seasons, were drawn with the Catalans in the group stage of this season’s competition yesterday.
Nine-times champions Real Madrid will meet Juventus in two mouthwatering clashes in Group B which also features Galatasaray and FC Copenhagen.
Holders Bayern Munich landed CSKA Moscow, Manchester City and Czech champions Viktoria Plzen in Group D, giving them a seemingly straightforward passage to the knockout stage.
Chelsea, champions two seasons ago, face Schalke 04, FC Basel and Steaua Bucharest in Group E, having beaten the latter pair on their way to winning the Europa League last season.
Three-times European Cup winners Manchester United meet Ukraine’s Brazilian-inspired champions Shakhtar Donetsk along with Bayer Leverkusen and Real Sociedad in Group A.
Milan and Barcelona have met six times in the last two seasons and the Catalans have come out on top.
The Serie A side lost 4-2 on aggregate in the round of 16 last year and 3-1 on aggregate in the quarter-finals two seasons ago, when the two sides also met in the group stage.
The pair were drawn in Group H, alongside four-times winners Ajax Amsterdam and 1967 champions Celtic, who faced Barcelona in the group stage last season and memorably beat them at home.
“It is a well-known group, with prestigious stadia, historical ones, with teams who have already won the Champions League,” Milan vice-president Umberto Gandini told reporters.
Antonio Conte, who played under Carlo Ancelotti at Juventus for two years and now coaches the Serie A champions, will face his former manager when his side play Real Madrid.
“It’s a tough group with fascinating matches. Real are among the favourites for the title and... Galatasaray are a team to be feared,” Conte told Italian television.
“Unlike last season, we know what awaits us and the difficulty we will meet when we face the best teams in the world.”
Real beat Galatasaray in the knockout stage last season.
Bayern are clear favourites to progress from their group but the treble winners are taking nothing for granted.
“We have to go into the competition with a lot of respect and a lot of focus from the very start,” said Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.
“We have to be especially careful not to underestimate CSKA Moscow and Man. City. This will not be an automatic qualification but our aim is to make the KO stage.”
Group F was arguably the toughest, pitting last year’s runners-up Borussia Dortmund against Napoli, Olympique Marseille and Arsenal.
“This is a brilliant, balanced group with four teams who have what it takes to survive the group stage,” said Dortmund coach Juergen Klopp.
“The fact is we have to get something to put right (past results) against Arsenal and we have something to put right against Marseille,” added Klopp, whose side finished bottom of a group featuring both teams two seasons ago.
“I have not been to Napoli but I am already looking forward to the atmosphere there.”
Austria Vienna, the only debutants in the draw, were placed in Group G along with former Champions League winners Porto as well as Atletico Madrid and Zenit.
Big-spending Paris SG drew Olympiakos, from austerity-hit Greece, Benfica and Anderlecht in Group C in what should be a fairly easy stroll for the French side.
Group A
Man. United
S. Donetsk
B. Leverkusen
R. Sociedad
17/09/13 Man. United vs B. Leverkusen
17/09/13 R. Sociedad vs S. Donetsk
02/10/13 S. Donetsk vs Man. United
02/10/13 B. Leverkusen vs R. Sociedad
23/10/13 B. Leverkusen vs S. Donetsk
23/10/13 Man. United vs R. Sociedad
05/11/13 S. Donetsk vs B. Leverkusen
05/11/13 R. Sociedad vs Man. United
27/11/13 B. Leverkusen vs Man. United
27/11/13 S. Donetsk vs R. Sociedad
10/12/13 Man. United vs S. Donetsk
10/12/13 R. Sociedad vs B. Leverkusen
Group B
Real madrid
Juventus
Galatasaray
FC Copenhagen
17/09/13 Galatasaray vs R. Madrid
17/09/13 Copenhagen vs Juventus
02/10/13 Juventus vs Galatasaray
02/10/13 Real Madrid vs Copenhagen
23/10/13 R. Madrid vs Juventus
23/10/13 Galatasaray vs Copenhagen
05/11/13 Juventus vs Real Madrid
05/11/13 Copenhagen vs Galatasaray
27/11/13 Real Madrid vs Galatasaray
27/11/13 Juventus vs Copenhagen
10/12/13 Copenhagen vs Real Madrid
10/12/13 Galatasaray vs Juventus
Group C
Benfica
PARIS SG
Olympiakos
Anderlecht
17/09/13 Benfica vs Anderlecht
17/09/13 Olympiakos vs Paris SG
02/10/13 Paris SG vs Benfica
02/10/13 Anderlecht vs Olympiakos
23/10/13 Anderlecht vs Paris SG
23/10/13 Benfica vs Olympiakos
05/11/13 Paris SG vs Anderlecht
05/11/13 Olympiakos vs Benfica
27/11/13 Anderlecht vs Benfica
27/11/13 Paris SG vs Olympiakos
10/12/13 Benfica vs Paris SG
10/12/13 Olympiakos vs Anderlecht
Group D
Bayern Munich
Cska moscow
Manchester City
Viktoria plzen
17/09/13 B. Munich vs CSKA Moscow
17/09/13 V. Plzen vs Man. City
02/10/13 Man. City vs Bayern Munich
02/10/13 CSKA Moscow vs V. Plzen
23/10/13 CSKA Moscow vs Man. City
23/10/13 B. Munich vs V. Plzen
05/11/13 Man. City vs CSKA Moscow
05/11/13 V. Plzen vs B. Munich
27/11/13 CSKA Moscow vs B. Munich
27/11/13 Man. City vs V. Plzen
10/12/13 B. Munich vs Man. City
10/12/13 V. Plzen vs CSKA Moscow
Group E
Chelsea
Schalke 04
FC basel
Steaua bucharest
18/09/13 Schalke vs S. Bucharest
18/09/13 Chelsea vs Basel
01/10/13 Basel vs Schalke
01/10/13 S. Bucharest vs Chelsea
22/10/13 S. Bucharest vs Basel
22/10/13 Schalke vs Chelsea
06/11/13 Basel vs S. Bucharest
06/11/13 Chelsea vs Schalke
26/11/13 Basel vs Chelsea
26/11/13 S. Bucharest vs Schalke
11/12/13 Schalke vs Basel
11/12/13 Chelsea vs S. Bucharest
Group F
Arsenal
Olympique marseille
Borussia dortmund
Napoli
18/09/13 Marseille vs Arsenal
18/09/13 Napoli vs B. Dortmund
01/10/13 B. Dortmund vs Marseille
01/10/13 Arsenal vs Napoli
22/10/13 Arsenal vs B. Dortmund
22/10/13 Marseille vs Napoli
06/11/13 B. Dortmund vs Arsenal
06/11/13 Napoli vs Marseille
26/11/13 Arsenal vs Marseille
26/11/13 B. Dortmund vs Napoli
11/12/13 Marseille vs B. Dortmund
11/12/13 Napoli vs Arsenal
Group G
Porto
Atletico madrid
Zenit st petersburg
Austria vienna
18/09/13 A. Vienna vs Porto
18/09/13 A. Madrid vs Zenit SP
01/10/13 Zenit SP vs A. Vienna
01/10/13 Porto vs A. Madrid
22/10/13 Porto vs Zenit SP
22/10/13 A. Vienna vs A. Madrid
06/11/13 Zenit SP vs Porto
06/11/13 A. Madrid vs A. Vienna
26/11/13 Porto vs A. Vienna
26/11/13 Zenit SP vs A. Madrid
11/12/13 A. Vienna vs Zenit SP
11/12/13 A. Madrid vs Porto
Group H
Barcelona
Milan
Ajax amsterdam
Celtic
18/09/13 Milan vs Celtic
18/09/13 Barcelona vs Ajax
01/10/13 Ajax vs Milan
01/10/13 Celtic vs Barcelona
22/10/13 Celtic vs Ajax
22/10/13 Milan vs Barcelona
06/11/13 Ajax vs Celtic
06/11/13 Barcelona vs Milan
26/11/13 Celtic vs Milan
26/11/13 Ajax vs Barcelona
11/12/13 Milan vs Ajax
11/12/13 Barcelona vs Celtic