Champions League Group Stage Draw Announced

Reigning European champions Liverpool and Premier League winners Manchester City avoided tough draws in the Champions League group stage, with Group F shaping up to be the most exciting to watch.

Liverpool start their defence of their Champions League crown against last season's group stage opponents Napoli, as well as Red Bull Salzburg and Genk in Group E.

City, meanwhile, have been handed a routine draw - having been paired with Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk for the second year running, along with Dinamo Zagreb and Atalanta.

For Spurs and Chelsea it's much trickier on paper. Last year's finalists are in Group B with Bayern Munich, Olympiacos and Red Star Belgrade, with the Europa League winners having to face Ajax, Valencia and Lille in Group H.

Barcelona, who are vying to end a four-year drought without winning the Champions League, take on Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan and Slavia Prague in a tasty-looking Group F.

Group D, with Juventus, Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen and Lokomotiv Moscow, also looks tasty - as does Group A where Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid will do battle.

Here is the draw in full:

Group A: Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Club Brugge, Galatasaray

Group B: Bayern Munich, Spurs, Olympiacos, Red Star Belgrade

Group C: Manchester City, Shakhtar, Dinamo Zagreb, Atalanta

Group D: Juventus, Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Lokomotiv Moscow

Group E: Liverpool, Napoli, Salzburg, Genk

Group F: FC Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan, Slavia Prague

Group G: Zenit St Petersburg, Benfica, Lyon, RB Leipzig

Group H: Chelsea, Ajax, Valencia, Lille

The action all gets under way with the first matchweek on Tuesday 17 and Wednesday 18 September, before two rounds of fixtures in October, two in November and the final round on December 10/11.

The 2020 Champions League final will take place at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey on 30 May.

Topics: Manchester City, Football News, Football, Barcelona, Champions League, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid

Josh Lawless

Josh is a sports journalist who specialises in football and wrestling. He has been published by Curzon Ashton FC, Late Tackle, Manchester City FC, The Mirror, Read Man City and Manchester Evening News. He provides coverage of professional wrestling and has interviewed some of the biggest names in the field - including the first UK interview with The Hardy Boyz after their return to WWE. He has never sported a pair of Lonsdale Slip-ons, contrary to reports.

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