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28 August 2015

UEFA Champions League Draw 2015/16, Manchester United Get Easy Group



  • Arsenal will face Bayern Munich, Olympiacos and Dinamo Zagreb
    Chelsea drawn against Porto, Dynamo Kiev and Maccabi Tel-Aviv
    Manchester City meet Juventus, Sevilla and Borussia Monchengladbach
    Manchester United making return to Champions League after a year out


    By CHARLES SALE FOR THE DAILY MAIL and JOE STRANGE FOR MAILONLINE


    The curse of the Champions League hit Manchester City again on Thursday with the Premier League leaders handed the toughest draw of English clubs.

    City, who have never gone past the last 16, will have their work cut to do so this season from a group containing last season's runners up Juventus, Europa League winners Sevilla and solid German side Borussia Monchengladbach.

    Manuel Pellegrini's expensively-assembled side are the stand-out performers at the start of the Premier League season, however, and there will be great upset at the Etihad if they don't at least reach the knockout stages, where they have twice lost to Barcelona.





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    Manchester City, who face Juventus in the group stage, have a history of tough Champions League draws


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    Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba will return to Manchester to take on Manuel Pellegrini's side this season


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    Former Barcelona and Chelsea defender Juliano Beletti took part in Thursday's group stage draw in Monaco


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    CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GROUP STAGE DRAW IN FULL


    Group A - PSG, Real Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk, Malmo

    Group B - PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United, CSKA Moscow, Wolfsburg

    Group C - Benfica, Atletico Madrid, Galatasaray, Astana

    Group D - Juventus, Manchester City, Sevilla, Borussia Monchengladbach


    Group E - Barcelona, Bayer Leverkusen, Roma, BATE Borisov

    Group F - Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Olympiacos, Dinamo Zagreb

    Group G - Chelsea, Porto, Dynamo Kiev, Maccabi Tel-Aviv

    Group H - Zenit, Valencia, Lyon, Gent

    City's head of football administration Brian Marwood - representing the club at the draw in Monaco - said: 'It's a little bit different this time. We didn't get Barcelona and we didn't get Bayern Munich — let's hope we get them further in the competition, that means we've progressed.

    'We always seem to draw very difficult groups, but it is what it is. I'm sure it could have been tougher. But clubs will be looking at us and seeing the talent we have, and you'd like to think they are not happy about drawing us.'

    City have never scored more than once in their three meetings with Juventus, and will come up against transfer target Paul Pogba, providing he remains in Turin. 

  • Manchester United reached the group stages with play-off victory over Club Bruges and will face PSV Eindhoven.

    It will be an early return to the Dutch club for United summer signing Memphis Depay, who tweeted: 'Well well PSV, guess we'll see each other soon.'

    Louis van Gaal's men overcame the Belgian side 7-1 on aggregate in their play-off and have aslo been rewarded with games against CSKA Moscow and Wolfsburg.






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    Wayne Rooney scored a hat-trick as Manchester United beat Club Bruges in their Champions League play-off


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    Beletti picked out Manchester United as the Premier League club make their return to the Champions League


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    United, who are making their return to the Champions League after a season out of the competition, are undefeated in two games against CSKA and beat Wolfsburg twice when they last met in the 2009-10 group stage.

    Arsenal also have a difficult group which includes old foes Bayern Munich who have dumped the Gunners out of the tournament twice in the last three seasons.

    There will be a lot of attention around their games with Greek side Olympiacos, who are mired in match-fixing allegations as serious as those that saw Turkish club Fenerbahce thrown out of the tournament in 2011.

    Olympiacos owner Vangelis Marinakis - on bail accused of match-fixing allegations - told the English media: 'Why don't you write about sport? All you write about is bulls**t.'

    The Gunners, who were knocked out at the last 16 stage by Monaco last season, will also face Croatian side Dinamo Zagreb.

    Arsenal secretary David Miles said: 'The draw started ominously when we were drawn in Bayern's group but we can be relatively pleased with how it turned out.'


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    Arsenal and Alexis Sanchez endured heartbreak against Monaco in last season's Champions League


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    Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain tussles with Bayern Munich's Thiago Alcantara (left) and Franck Ribery in 2014


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    Former Barcelona goalkeeper Andoni Zubizarreta plucked out Bayern Munich during Thursday's draw


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    MANCHESTER UNITED, CHELSEA, ARSENAL AND MAN CITY FIXTURES


    MANCHESTER UNITED

    15 Sep - PSV (A)

    30 Sep - Wolfsburg (H)

    21 Oct - CSKA Moscow (A)

    3 Nov - CSKA Moscow (H)

    25 Nov - PSV (H)

    8 Dec - Wolfsburg (A)

    ARSENAL

    16 Sep - Dinamo Zagreb (A)

    29 Sep - Olympiacos (H)

    20 Oct - Bayern Munich (H)

    4 Nov - Bayern Munich (A)

    24 Nov - Dinamo Zagreb (H)

    9 Dec - Olympiacos (A)


    CHELSEA

    16 Sep - Maccabi Tel-Aviv (H)

    29 Sep - Porto (A)

    20 Oct - Dynamo Kiev (A)

    4 Nov - Dynamo Kiev (H)

    24 Nov - Maccabi Tel-Aviv (A)

    9 Dec - Porto (H)

    MANCHESTER CITY

    15 Sep - Juventus (H)

    30 Sep - Borussia Monchengladbach (A)

    21 Oct - Sevilla (H)

    3 Nov - Sevilla (A)

    25 Nov - Juventus (A)

    8 Dec - Borussia Monchengladbach (H)

    Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho will return to Porto, who he led to an unlikely Champions League title in 2004. But their Group G doesn't look too troublesome, also facing Dynamo Kiev and Maccabi Tel-Aviv.

    The Premier League champions have never failed to scored in six previous meetings with Porto, although Mourinho has won neither of his two trips to his old club.

    Chelsea's global ambassador Carlo Cudicini said: 'Porto are a club that does good deals in (the) transfer market. But they keep replacing them with good players and end up in the Champions League every season. It's not an easy draw at all.'


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    Diego Costa (centre) and his Chelsea team-mates will be hoping to get beyond the last 16 stage this season


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    Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho will come up against his old club Porto in the Champions League group stage


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    Holders Barcelona face trips to Germany, Italy and Ukraine to face Bayer Leverkusen, Roma and BATE Borisov in Group E as they look to retain the trophy they won in Berlin in June.

    Barca's La Liga rivals Real Madrid take on Paris Saint-Germain, Shakhtar Donestk and Malmo in Group A as bid to win an 11th European Cup.

    It is also likely that PSG striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who began his career at Malmo, will get the chance to return to Sweden and his boyhood club.






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    Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta gets his hands on the Champions League trophy during Thursday's draw


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    Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi and Neymar (L-R) helped Barcelona win last season's Champions League final


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    Real Madrid are looking to regain the Champions League after winning their 10th European Cup in 2014


    The English quartet avoided the 6,800-mile round trip to Kazakhstan side Astana, who will play Benfica, Galatasaray and Atletico Madrid.

    Russian champions Zenit St Petersburg, Valencia, Lyon, Gent make up Group H.

    The 2016 Champions League final will be held at the San Siro in Milan, Italy, on May 28.


    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3213073/UEFA-Champions-League-draw-Manchester-United-face-PSV-CSKA-Moscow-Wolfsburg-group-stage-Arsenal-meet-Bayern-Munich.html#ixzz3k4KeVdQo 

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