Title holders Barcelona were pitted against seven-time winners Milan in the draw for the 2011/2012 Champions League group stages held in Monaco yesterday.
Aside from Milan, knocked out in the last 16 last term, Pep Guardiola’s Barca will also face Bate Borisov and Viktoria Plzen in Group H.
Milan and Barca clashed in the 1994 final, with the Italians then managed by Fabio Capello dishing out a 4-0 drubbing to their Spanish rivals in Athens.
Manchester United, making a record 17th appearance in the world’s top club competition, were the first of the 32 teams to be drawn out of UEFA’s ‘hat’ by Portuguese legend Luis Figo.
Alex Ferguson’s three-time winners face Benfica, FC Basel and Romanian outfit FC Otelul Galati in Group C.
United and Benfica met in the 1968 final, with the English footballing superpower prevailing for the first of their titles 4-1 on home turf at Wembley.
Figo’s former club, nine-time kings of Europe Real Madrid, come up against old foes Lyon, Ajax (drawn in Real’s group last term) and Dinamo Zagreb.
Yesterday’s 32-team draw featured 11 previous winners and five newcomers including Manchester City.
Roberto Mancini’s expensively-assembled side were handed a tricky assignment with four-time winners Bayern Munich, who had to come through the play-offs, keeping them company in Group A.
Also on City’s radar are Italian group stage first-timers Napoli and Villarreal.
Bayern Munich’s director of sport Christian Nerlinger said his side would have a tough time in Group A.
“This is a demanding group, but Bayern are the favourites,” said Nerlinger, with the Champions League final on May 19 next year set to be hosted at Bayern’s Allianz Arena in Munich.
“I would have preferred to have faced other teams, but we are pleased to accept the challenge. The team is up for it.”
Arsenal’s tricky start to the season was eased by their defeat of Udinese in the play-offs.
And the Gunners’ reward for securing their 14th Champions League campaign was a match-up against Didier Deschamps’s Marseille, Borussia Dortmund and Olympiakos.
Chelsea, the fourth representative from the Premier League and last season’s quarter-finalists, are in Group E with Valencia, Chelsea new recuit Juan Mata’s old club, Bayer Leverkusen and Genk.
Last season’s quarter-finalists Inter come up against CSKA Moscow, Lille and Trabzonspor, called up to replace Fenerbahce who were denied taking up their group stage ticket over a match-fixing probe, in Group B.
Group G comprises another former winner of the competition in FC Porto, who face Shakhtar Donetsk, Zenit St Petersburg and APOEL Nicosia.
The long road to the final at Bayern’s Munich stadium starts on September 13 with the opening salvoes of this season’s group stages
The top two placed teams in each group advance to the first knockout round, with the third-placed teams dropping down to the Europa League.
Group A
Bayern munich
Villarreal
Manchester city
Napoli
14/09/11 Man. City vs Napoli
14/09/11 Villarreal vs Bayern Munich
27/09/11 Bayern Munich vs Man. City
27/09/11 Napoli vs Villarreal
18/10/11 Napoli vs Bayern Munich
18/10/11 Man. City vs Villarreal
02/11/11 Bayern Munich vs Napoli
02/11/11 Villarreal vs Man. City
22/11/11 Napoli vs Man. City
22/11/11 Bayern Munich vs Villarreal
07/12/11 Man. City vs Bayern Munich
07/12/11 Villarreal vs Napoli
Group B
Inter
Cska moscow
Lille
Trabzonspor
14/09/11 Lille vs CSKA Moscow
14/09/11 Inter vs Trabzonspor
27/09/11 Trabzonspor vs Lille
27/09/11 CSKA Moscow vs Inter
18/10/11 CSKA Moscow vs Trabzonspor
18/10/11 Lille vs Inter
02/11/11 Trabzonspor vs CSKA Moscow
02/11/11 Inter vs Lille
22/11/11 CSKA Moscow vs Lille
22/11/11 Trabzonspor vs Inter
07/12/11 Lille vs Trabzonspor
07/12/11 Inter vs CSKA Moscow
Group C
Manchester united
Benfica
Fc Basel
Fc Otelul galati
14/09/11 Basel vs Otelul Galati
14/09/11 Benfica vs Man. United
27/09/11 Man. United vs Basel
27/09/11 Otelul Galati vs Benfica
18/10/11 Otelul Galati vs Man. United
18/10/11 Basel vs Benfica
02/11/11 Man. United vs Otelul Galati
02/11/11 Benfica vs Basel
22/11/11 Otelul Galati vs Basel
22/11/11 Man. United vs Benfica
07/12/11 Basel vs Man. United
07/12/11 Benfica vs Otelul Galati
Group D
Real Madrid
Olympique Lyon
Ajax Amsterdam
Dinamo Zagreb
14/09/11 D. Zagreb vs Real Madrid
14/09/11 Ajax vs Lyon
27/09/11 Lyon vs D. Zagreb
27/09/11 Real Madrid vs Ajax
18/10/11 Real Madrid vs Lyon
18/10/11 D. Zagreb vs Ajax
02/11/11 Lyon vs Real Madrid
02/11/11 Ajax vs D. Zagreb
22/11/11 Real Madrid vs D. Zagreb
22/11/11 Lyon vs Ajax
07/12/11 D. Zagreb vs Lyon
07/12/11 Ajax vs Real Madrid
Group E
Chelsea
Valencia
Bayer leverkusen
Genk
13/09/11 Chelsea vs B. Leverkusen
13/09/11 Genk vs Valencia
28/09/11 Valencia vs Chelsea
28/09/11 B. Leverkusen vs Genk
19/10/11 B. Leverkusen vs Valencia
19/10/11 Chelsea vs Genk
01/11/11 Valencia vs B. Leverkusen
01/11/11 Genk vs Chelsea
23/11/11 B. Leverkusen vs Chelsea
23/11/11 Valencia vs Genk
06/12/11 Chelsea vs Valencia
06/12/11 Genk vs B. Leverkusen
Group F
Arsenal
Olympique marseille
Olympiakos
Borussia dortmund
13/09/11 Olympiakos vs Marseille
13/09/11 Bor. Dortmund vs Arsenal
28/09/11 Arsenal vs Olympiakos
28/09/11 Marseille vs Bor. Dortmund
19/10/11 Marseille vs Arsenal
19/10/11 Olympiakos vs Bor. Dortmund
01/11/11 Arsenal vs Marseille
01/11/11 Bor. Dortmund vs Olympiakos
23/11/11 Arsenal vs Bor. Dortmund
23/11/11 Marseille vs Olympiakos
06/12/11 Olympiakos vs Arsenal
06/12/11 Bor. Dortmund vs Marseille
Group G
Fc Porto
Shakhtar donetsk
Zenit st petersburg
Apoel nicosia
13/09/11 Porto vs S. Donetsk
13/09/11 Apoel vs Zenit SP
28/09/11 Zenit SP vs Porto
28/09/11 S. Donetsk vs Apoel
19/10/11 S. Donetsk vs Zenit SP
19/10/11 Porto vs Apoel
01/11/11 Zenit SP vs S. Donetsk
01/11/11 Apoel vs Porto
23/11/11 S. Donetsk vs Porto
23/11/11 Zenit SP vs Apoel
06/12/11 Porto vs Zenit SP
06/12/11 Apoel vs S. Donetsk
Group H
Barcelona
Milan
Bate borisov
Viktoria plzen
13/09/11 Barcelona vs Milan
13/09/11 Vik. Plzen vs Bate Borisov
28/09/11 Bate Borisov vs Barcelona
28/09/11 Milan vs Vik. Plzen
19/10/11 Milan vs Bate Borisov
19/10/11 Barcelona vs Vik. Plzen
01/11/11 Bate Borisov vs Milan
01/11/11 Vik. Plzen vs Barcelona
23/11/11 Milan vs Barcelona
23/11/11 Bate Borisov vs Vik. Plzen
06/12/11 Barcelona vs Bate Borisov
06/12/11 Vik. Plzen vs Milan