The UEFA Champions League’s Group Stage has been drawn with the Premier League clubs having learned their opposition for the first round.
Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham are England’s representatives this season, while both Celtic and Rangers have also made it through to the group stage.
City were seeded in pot one due to their status as Premier League champions and will be aiming for a first Champions League title this season. Pep Guardiola’s side will take on Sevilla, Borussia Dortmund and Copenhagen with Erling Haaland set for an instant return to the Westfalenstadion.
Last season’s runners-up Liverpool were seeded second and have an all-British match-up with Rangers, alongside clashes with Ajax and Napoli in a tricky-looking group stage. Jurgen Klopp’s team have reached three of the past five finals and will be hoping for another run to the latter stages.
Chelsea were crowned Champions League winners in 2021 and will meet AC Milan, RB Salzburg and Dinamo Zagreb in Group E.
Tottenham return to Europe’s elite this season after a top four finish in the Premier League last season and have been rewarded with a group containing Europa League winners Eintracht Frankfurt, Sporting Lisbon and Marseille.
Elsewhere, Robert Lewandowski will make his return to Bayern Munich with Barcelona, in a fascinating group that also contains Inter Milan. Viktoria Plzen will have their work cut out against three European heavyweights.
Celtic’s reward for qualification is a trip to the holders with Ange Postecoglou’s team taking on Real Madrid, along with clashes against RB Leipzig and Shakhtar Donetsk.
Champions League Group Stage draw in full:
Group A: Ajax, Liverpool, Napoli, Rangers
Group B: Porto, Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Club Brugge
Group C: Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Viktoria Plzen
Group D: Frankfurt, Tottenham, Sporting, Marseille
Group E: AC Milan, Chelsea, Salzburg, Dinamo Zagreb
Group F: Real Madrid, RB Leipzig, Shakhtar Donetsk, Celtic
Group G: Man City, Sevilla, Borussia Dortmund, Copenhagen
Group H: PSG, Juventus, Benfica, Maccabi Haifa
