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London. — Manchester City, cursed with bad luck in the Champions League, suffered another horror draw in Monaco but there was better news for Manchester United, who have a relatively easy passage to the knockout stages. City have to face last season’s runners-up Juventus as well as Spanish club Sevilla, who won the Europa League in May, and tough German competitors Borussia Monchengladbach in Group D.

In contrast United, who came through the qualifying stage by beating Club Bruges, face PSV Eindhoven, CSKA Moscow and Wolfsburg in Group B Louis van Gaal’s men overcame the Belgian side 7-1 on aggregate in their play-off and have been rewarded with trips to Holland, Russia and Germany.

United, who are making their return to the Champions League after a season out of the competition, are undefeated in two games against CSKA and beat Wolfsburg twice when they last met in the 2009-10 group stage. City, meanwhile, have never scored more than once in their three meetings with Juventus, and will come up against transfer target Paul Pogba, providing he remains in Turin.

Arsenal also have a problematic group, facing Bayern Munich who have knocked them out twice in the last three seasons of European football. They are in the same Group F as Olympiacos, the Greek club who are mired in serious match-fixing allegations which UEFA have ignored as far as their participation in Europe’s elite club competition is concerned.

The Gunners, who were knocked out at the last 16 stage by Monaco last season, will also face Croatian side Dinamo Zagreb. Chelsea will also be confident of progressing through a group containing Porto, whom manager Jose Mourinho led to an unlikely Champions League triumph in 2004, along with Dynamo Kiev and Maccabi Tel-Aviv. The Premier League champions have never failed to scored in six previous meetings with Porto, although Mourinho has won neither of his two trips to his old club.

Like every team in the group stage, the Blues’ first game will be on either September 15 or 16. Holders Barcelona face trips to Germany, Italy and Ukraine to face Bayer Leverkusen, Roma and BATE Borisov in Group E as they look to retain the trophy they won in Berlin in June. Barca’s La Liga rivals Real Madrid take on Paris Saint-Germain, Shakhtar Donestk and Malmo in Group A as bid to win an 11th European Cup.

It is also likely that PSG striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who began his career at Malmo, will get the chance to return to Sweden and his boyhood club. Group C is made up of Benfica, Atletico Madrid, Galatasaray and Astana, who are champions of Kazakhastan and playing in the Champions League for the first time.

Russian champions Zenit St Petersburg, Valencia, Lyon, Gent make up Group H. The 2016 Champions League final will be held at the San Siro in Milan, Italy, on May 28.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GROUP STAGE DRAW
Group A: PSG, Real Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk, Malmo

Group B: PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United, CSKA Moscow, Wolfsburg

Group C: Benfica, Atletico Madrid, Galatasaray, Astana

Group D: Juventus, Manchester City, Sevilla, Borussia Monchengladbach

Group E: Barcelona, Bayer Leverkusen, Roma, BATE Borisov

Group F: Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Olympiacos, Dinamo Zagreb

Group G: Chelsea, Porto, Dynamo Kiev, Maccabi Tel-Aviv

Group H: Zenit, Valencia, Lyon, Gent. – MailOnline.