jimmy
08-29-2008, 07:04 AM
TITLEHOLDER Manchester United has drawn with Scottish champions Celtic, Spain's Villarreal and Denmark's Aalborg for this season's Champions League group phase.
United, which also won the English Premiership title, was drawn in Group E while Chelsea will meet AS Roma, Bordeaux of France and Romanian debutants Cluj in Group A.
Adding to the flavour of home and away 'Battle of Britain' clashes will be the fact that Celtic is coached by Gordon Strachan, who was a player under United boss Sir Alex Ferguson both at Old Trafford and Aberdeen beforehand.
The clubs also met in the Champions League group stages two seasons ago. Celtic edged its home game 1-0 and United won its 3-2.
Liverpool, which edged into the pool phase with a 1-0 win over Belgium's Standard Liege on Wednesday, will take on Spain's Atletico Madrid, which looked sharp in knocking out Germany's Schalke 04, as well as Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven and also Marseille of France, which it met last year, in Group D.
Rafa Benitez's side has made a slow start to the season but has won its opening two Premiership fixtures despite not clicking into top gear.
Heading to Atletico means a trip to his former club for Reds' striker Fernando Torres as the hitman nicknamed El Nino seeks to blow away his old teammates at the Vicente Calderon stadium.
"The important thing is making a good start. We took one point from the first three games last season and we've got to do better," former star Phil Thompson told Liverpool's official website.
But they will be mindful of their Anfield meeting against Marseille last year when the French won 1-0 only to lose the return at the Velodrome as Benitez and company swept them aside 4-0.
Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry told the BBC: "There are no easy games - you just take it as it comes. We are just delighted to be in it."
Marseille chairman Pape Diouf was cautious. "We know it won't be easy but we know Liverpool from playing them last year.That could be an advantage for us - but also for them."
England's other participant, 2006 finalist Arsenal, will face a trip to Fenerbahce in Turkey, to Portugal to meet Porto and Dynamo Kiev of Ukraine in Group G.
In Group B, Italian champion Inter Milan will take on seasoned German campaigners Werder Bremen, Greek side Panathinaikos and Cypriots Anorthosis.
Barcelona, champion in 1992 and 2006, will meet Portugal's Sporting Lisbon, FC Basel of Switzerland and Shakhtar Donetsk of Ukraine in Group C.
In Group F, serial French champions Lyon, which has yet to make a major impression in Europe despite its domestic dominance, will meet German counterpart Bayern Munich, Italy's Fiorentina and Romania's Steaua Bucharest.
Lyon coach Claude Puel says he foresees an even hence, tough, group.
"Romanian football has come on a lot and Fiorentina were semi-finalists in last season's UEFA Cup and had a good season in Italy. We'll have to get points pretty much everywhere."
Finally in Group H, record nine-times winners Real Madrid, which has flopped badly since its last success in 2002, must face Juventus, winner in 1985 and 1996, UEFA Cup holder Zenit St Petersburg and Bate Borisov of Belarus.
Ahead of the draw, Chelsea's Petr Cech was earlier voted top goalkeeper of last season's competition while skipper John Terry won the defenders accolade and Frank Lampard was named UEFA midfielder of the year to complete a club treble.
Cristiano Ronaldo got the vote as top striker and top overall player after his 42-goal season haul. The first set of matches will be played on September 16/17.
Draw
Group A
Chelsea (ENG)
AS Roma (ITA)
Bordeaux (FRA)
CFR Cluj (ROM)
Group B
Inter Milan (ITA)
Werder Bremen (GER)
Panathinaikos (GRE)
Anorthosis Famugusta (CYP)
Group C
FC Barcelona (ESP)
Sporting (POR)
FC Basel (SUI)
Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR)
Group D
Liverpool (ENG)
PSV Eindhoven (NED)
Marseille (FRA)
Atletico Madrid (ESP)
Group E
Manchester United (ENG)
Villarreal (ESP)
Celtic (SCO)
Aalborg (DEN)
Group F
Lyon (FRA)
Bayern Munich (GER)
Steaua Bucharest (ROM)
Fiorentina (ITA)
Group G
Arsenal (ENG)
FC Porto (POR)
Fenerbahce (TUR)
Dynamo Kiev (UKR)
Group H
Real Madrid (ESP)
Juventus (ITA)
Zenit St. Petersburg (RUS)
BATE (BLR)
- AFP
United, which also won the English Premiership title, was drawn in Group E while Chelsea will meet AS Roma, Bordeaux of France and Romanian debutants Cluj in Group A.
Adding to the flavour of home and away 'Battle of Britain' clashes will be the fact that Celtic is coached by Gordon Strachan, who was a player under United boss Sir Alex Ferguson both at Old Trafford and Aberdeen beforehand.
The clubs also met in the Champions League group stages two seasons ago. Celtic edged its home game 1-0 and United won its 3-2.
Liverpool, which edged into the pool phase with a 1-0 win over Belgium's Standard Liege on Wednesday, will take on Spain's Atletico Madrid, which looked sharp in knocking out Germany's Schalke 04, as well as Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven and also Marseille of France, which it met last year, in Group D.
Rafa Benitez's side has made a slow start to the season but has won its opening two Premiership fixtures despite not clicking into top gear.
Heading to Atletico means a trip to his former club for Reds' striker Fernando Torres as the hitman nicknamed El Nino seeks to blow away his old teammates at the Vicente Calderon stadium.
"The important thing is making a good start. We took one point from the first three games last season and we've got to do better," former star Phil Thompson told Liverpool's official website.
But they will be mindful of their Anfield meeting against Marseille last year when the French won 1-0 only to lose the return at the Velodrome as Benitez and company swept them aside 4-0.
Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry told the BBC: "There are no easy games - you just take it as it comes. We are just delighted to be in it."
Marseille chairman Pape Diouf was cautious. "We know it won't be easy but we know Liverpool from playing them last year.That could be an advantage for us - but also for them."
England's other participant, 2006 finalist Arsenal, will face a trip to Fenerbahce in Turkey, to Portugal to meet Porto and Dynamo Kiev of Ukraine in Group G.
In Group B, Italian champion Inter Milan will take on seasoned German campaigners Werder Bremen, Greek side Panathinaikos and Cypriots Anorthosis.
Barcelona, champion in 1992 and 2006, will meet Portugal's Sporting Lisbon, FC Basel of Switzerland and Shakhtar Donetsk of Ukraine in Group C.
In Group F, serial French champions Lyon, which has yet to make a major impression in Europe despite its domestic dominance, will meet German counterpart Bayern Munich, Italy's Fiorentina and Romania's Steaua Bucharest.
Lyon coach Claude Puel says he foresees an even hence, tough, group.
"Romanian football has come on a lot and Fiorentina were semi-finalists in last season's UEFA Cup and had a good season in Italy. We'll have to get points pretty much everywhere."
Finally in Group H, record nine-times winners Real Madrid, which has flopped badly since its last success in 2002, must face Juventus, winner in 1985 and 1996, UEFA Cup holder Zenit St Petersburg and Bate Borisov of Belarus.
Ahead of the draw, Chelsea's Petr Cech was earlier voted top goalkeeper of last season's competition while skipper John Terry won the defenders accolade and Frank Lampard was named UEFA midfielder of the year to complete a club treble.
Cristiano Ronaldo got the vote as top striker and top overall player after his 42-goal season haul. The first set of matches will be played on September 16/17.
Draw
Group A
Chelsea (ENG)
AS Roma (ITA)
Bordeaux (FRA)
CFR Cluj (ROM)
Group B
Inter Milan (ITA)
Werder Bremen (GER)
Panathinaikos (GRE)
Anorthosis Famugusta (CYP)
Group C
FC Barcelona (ESP)
Sporting (POR)
FC Basel (SUI)
Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR)
Group D
Liverpool (ENG)
PSV Eindhoven (NED)
Marseille (FRA)
Atletico Madrid (ESP)
Group E
Manchester United (ENG)
Villarreal (ESP)
Celtic (SCO)
Aalborg (DEN)
Group F
Lyon (FRA)
Bayern Munich (GER)
Steaua Bucharest (ROM)
Fiorentina (ITA)
Group G
Arsenal (ENG)
FC Porto (POR)
Fenerbahce (TUR)
Dynamo Kiev (UKR)
Group H
Real Madrid (ESP)
Juventus (ITA)
Zenit St. Petersburg (RUS)
BATE (BLR)
- AFP