Champions League group draw hands Manchester United straightforward return
Jose Mourinho's side will begin their European campaign when the first round of group matches begin on 12-13 September
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Your support makes all the difference.Manchester United have been handed a relatively kind start to their Champions League campaign after drawing Benfica, FC Basel and CSKA Moscow in the group stages.
Jose Mourinho’s men return to the competition this year after lifting the Europa League in May and will surely be pleased with their draw in Group A.
Similarly Liverpool, who have been missing from Europe’s elite competition for two seasons, face one of the easier groups alongside Spartak Moscow, Sevilla and Slovenian side Maribor.
Manchester City fans will face a long trip to Ukraine to play Shakhtar Donetsk, as well as tricky ties against Napoli and Feyenoord.
While Chelsea will take on Atletico Madrid, Roma and Qarabag.
Chelsea lost to Atletico in the 2014 Champions League semi-finals as the Madrid side went on to lose the final to crosstown rivals Real.
The Blues have won two of their four meetings with the team from the Italian capital; a 1965 Fairs Cup win and a 2008 Champions League win on their way to the final.
Azerbaijani side Qarabag make up the numbers in Group C, where Antonio Conte's team were drawn first having been seeded as one of the division champions from last season.
Tottenham face a tricky group stage after being drawn against Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund.
Spurs have never beaten either of those teams, losing two Europa League games against the Germans in 2016 and three of four clashes with the Spanish giants.
They lost a 1985 Uefa Cup quarter final first leg with Real, drawing the second leg 0-0, before taking on Cristiano Ronaldo's side in the Champions League in 2010, losing in the Bernabeu and at White Hart Lane. Apoel from Cyprus make up the numbers in Group H.
The Europa League appears to be the best Celtic can hope for after being handed a very difficult draw against Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-German and Anderlecht.
The ceremony in Monaco on Thursday evening also saw Gianluigi Buffon of Juventus named goalkeeper of the year, with the Real Madrid trio of Sergio Ramos, Luka Modric and Cristiano Ronaldo being given the awards for their respective positions.
The first round of group stage fixtures will take place on the 12-13 September.
Champions League group stage draw in full:
Group A: Benfica, Manchester United, Basel, CSKA Moscow
Group B: Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Anderlecht, Celtic
Group C: Chelsea, Atletico Madrid, Roma
Group D: Juventus, Barcelona, Olympiakos, Sporting Lisbon
Group E: Spartak Moscow, Sevilla, Liverpool, Maribor
Group F: Shakhtar Donetsk, Manchester City, Napoli, Feyenoord
Group G: Monaco, Porto, Besiktas, RB Leipzig
Group H: Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Tottenham, Apoel
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