Manchester City drawn with Real Madrid

Premier League champions Manchester City were handed a tough task in their second Champions League outing by being drawn with four other champions, including Real Madrid.

Roberto Mancini’s side were drawn alongside Eredivisie winners Ajax and German double winners Borussia Dortmund in Group D – improving on last year’s group stage exit will not be easy.

Chelsea have been handed a mouth-watering trip to Serie A champions Juventus in the defence of the title they won in May.

Roberto di Matteo’s team, drawn in Group E, will also face Champions League first-timers from Denmark, FC Nordsjaelland, but were given the gruelling task of going to Ukraine to meet Shakhtar Donetsk.

Manchester United were drawn in Group H and will have to travel a pair of experienced European sides in Braga and Galatasaray, as well as Romanian side CFR Cluj.

As with their city rivals, Sir Alex Ferguson’s side will be desperate to improve on a group stage exit from last year, though their task appears a little easier than the Citizens’.

Arsene Wenger was hoping to avoid any extensive travelling before the draw and his wish was granted when his Arsenal side were drawn in Group B.

Their opponents will be Schalke of Germany, Ligue 1 champions Montpellier –new signing Olivier Giroud’s former side – and Olympicaos from Greece, where the Gunners lost their last group game in last seasons competition.

Scottish champions Celtic face the daunting prospect of going to Camp Nou, as they drew Lionel Messi and Barcelona in Group G.

Group stage Matchday One will be played Tuesday September 18 and Wednesday September 19

Here is the draw in full:

Group A

Porto

Dynamo Kyiv

Paris Saint Germain

Dinamo Zagreb

Group B

Arsenal

Schalke

Olympiacos

Montpellier

Group C

Milan

Zenit St Petersburg

Anderlecht

Malaga

Group D

Real Madrid

Manchester City

Ajax

Borussia Dortmund

Group E

Chelsea

Shakhtar Donetsk

Juventus

FC Nordsjealland

Group F

Bayern Munich

Valencia

Lille

BATE Borisov

Group G

Barcelona

Benfica

Spartak Moscow

Celtic

Group H

Manchester United

Braga

Galatasaray

CFR Cluj