Champions League group stage draw LIVE REACTION: Rangers get Liverpool, Celtic play Real Madrid, Chelsea face AC Milan
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LIVERPOOL will take on Rangers in the pick of the Champions League groups.
The Reds and the Gers will also face Ajax and Napoli.
Meanwhile, Barcelona take on Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and minnows Viktoria Plzen in the undoubted group of death.
Chelsea will be relatively satisfied with their draw as they have been paired with AC Milan, Salzburg and Dinamo Zagreb.
And Tottenham take on Europa League winners Frankfurt, as well as Ajax and Marseille.
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- Group A: Ajax, Liverpool, Napoli, Rangers
- Group B: Porto, Atletico Madrid, Liverpool, Bayer Leverkusen
- Group C: Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Inter, Viktoria Plzen
- Group D: Frankfurt, Tottenham, Sporting CP, Marseille
- Group C: AC Milan, Chelsea, Salzburg, Dinamo Zagreb
- Group F: Real Madrid, RB Leipzig, Shakhtar Donetsk, Celtic
- Group G: Manchester City, Sevilla, Dortmund, FC Copenhagen
- Group H: Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus, Benfica, Maccabi Haifa
Conte dares to dream
Tottenham remarkably are the second most backed team with the bookies for this season’s Champions League behind Man City.
Facing last season’s Europa League winners Eintracht Frankfurt along with Sporting Lisbon and Marseilles.
Spurs fans will fancy their chances of making the knockout phase at the very least this season.
ICYMI
The road to Istanbul starts for all 32 teams with the group stages which have thrown up some interesting match-ups.
Group C seems to be the traditional ‘group of death’ with big-hitters Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Inter Milan all drawn together with Viktoria Plzen having the unenviable task of making up the numbers in that group.
Rangers will feel they have been given the reward for all their hard work in qualification as they draw three big names in Ajax, Liverpool and Napoli.
Welcome back
Chelsea will welcome back some old faces when they take on seven-time champions AC Milan in a blockbuster Champions League showdown.
Olivier Giroud and Fikayo Tomori will return to Stamford Bridge as Serie A champions in Chelsea’s toughest home game of the group.
After that, it is a routine Group E for Thomas Tuchel’s side who also face Red Bull Salzburg and Dinamo Zagreb.
The Blues reached the quarter-finals as defending champions last season.
However, despite a stunning comeback against Real Madrid, they were undone by the eventual champions in extra-time at the Bernabeu.
Edge of the seat stuff
With all the draws and awards having completed, we only have a short time to wait for the competition to kick off.
The first fixtures are scheduled 6th August onwards.
One thing we can guarantee is drama, upsets and goals.
Arrigo Sacchi (President's Award) joins the other winners on stage.
Credit: AFP Draw brings return 'home'
Robert Lewandowski will travel back to Munich to face his old side with Barcelona as the group stage draw throws up its 'romantic ties'.
FC Bayern fans will be hoping that their ex-talisman does not come back to haunt them this time around.
It will be interesting to see the welcome he gets in Munich.
The Polish striker scored 238 goals in 253 games for Bayern.
Credit: Rex Carlo bags another trophy
The Real Madrid manager has been awarded the 'UEFA Men's Coach of the Year'.
To defend their crown will be a different challenge completely this season.
Looking like he is starring in a hostage video, the Italian maestro was pictured with his well-earned award.
Credit: Getty Barcelona player scoops award
Alexia Putellas of Barcelona has been awarded the 'UEFA Women's Player of the Year'.
Before agonizingly going down with an ACL injury just before the Euro 2022 tournament, Alexia Putellas has risen to the top of the world football game.
The defending Ballon d'Or winner, Putellas has pushed Barcelona to new heights.
She led Barcelona to the Champions League final this past summer, and scored 18 goals with 15 assists in La Liga last campaign while helping the Blaugrana to a runaway title.
Credit: Getty Karim of the crop
Real Madrid's Karim Benzema has been awarded the 'Best Player in Europe' accolade at the draw in Instanbul.
The French striker scored an impressive 15 goals in last season's tournament en route to winning the trophy.
You could see no other winner apart from Benzema who truly had an amazing season for Carlo Ancelotti's side.
Credit: EPA Celtic face holders Madrid
There have been some famous European nights at Celtic Park over the years with the likes of Lionel Messi and his Barcelona team visiting.
This season the Scottish champions will welcome holders Real Madrid.
Ange Postecoglou will be able to pit his wits against Carlo Ancelotti and his Madrid side in Glasgow in this campaign.
RB Leipzig and Shakhtar Donetsk will be the other teams Celtic will have to navigate if they are to have any hopes of making the knockout phase.
Credit: Getty
Champions League draw in full
The road to Istanbul starts for all 32 teams with the group stages which have thrown up some interesting match-ups.
Group C seems to be the traditional 'group of death' with big-hitters Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Inter Milan all drawn together with Viktoria Plzen having the unenviable task of making up the numbers in that group.
Rangers will feel they have been given the reward for all their hard work in qualification as they draw three big names in Ajax, Liverpool and Napoli.
Chelsea look to impress
Thomas Tuchel will be looking to show the club's new owners just what they are capable of this season.
AC Milan, FC Salzburg and Dinamo Zagreb will be their opponents in Group E this season.
The German manager will fancy his side's chances of progressing from the group stages again this season.
Conte dares to dream
Tottenham remarkably are the second most backed team with the bookies for this season's Champions League behind Man City.
Facing last season's Europa League winners Eintracht Frankfurt along with Sporting Lisbon and Marseilles.
Spurs fans will fancy their chances of making the knockout phase at the very least this season.
Pep's fate decided
Man City will face Sevilla, Borussia Dortmund and FC Copenhagen.
Erling Haaland will get the chance to return to his old club very early on in his Man City career, it will be interesting to see what reception the Norwegian striker gets.
Tricky little group for the Premier League champions.
Group stage draw complete
The first thing that leaps off the page from that draw is Giovanni van Bronckhorst's Rangers opponents in Group A.
After waiting so long to make it to the group stages, over a decade, Rangers will face Liverpool, Ajax and Napoli.
There must be some happy faces north of the border with three huge teams to put their wits against.
Group C
FC Bayern, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Viktoria Plzen
Group H
PSG, Juventus, Benfica, Maccabi Haifa
Group E
AC Milan, Chelsea, FC Salzburg, Dinamo Zagreb
Group A
Ajax, Liverpool, Napoli, Rangers
Group B
FC Porto, Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Club Bruges
Group G
Man City, Sevilla, Borussia Dortmund, FC Copenhagen
Group D
Eintracht Frankfurt, Tottenham, Sporting Lisbon, Marseilles
Group F
Real Madrid, RB Leipzig, Shakhtar Donetsk, Celtic
Group C
FC Bayern, Barcelona, Inter Milan
Group F
Real Madrid, RB Leipzig, Shakhtar Donetsk
Group D
Eintracht Frankfurt, Tottenham, Sporting Lisbon