PHOTO: AFP
Group A
Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) v Malmo (SWE)
Paris Saint-Germain, the dominant force in French football, begin another quest to emulate their domestic success on the European stage against Malmo, the 1979 European Cup runners-up, at the Parc des Princes. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who was rested as PSG dropped their first points of the season in Friday's 2-2 draw with Bordeaux, will come up against his hometown club having made his professional debut with Malmo in 1999. PSG's 33-game unbeaten European home record was snapped by Barcelona in a third straight quarter-final exit last season and the French club will be out to start a new streak against a Malmo side making just their second group stage appearance following last year's debut campaign.
Real Madrid (ESP) v Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR)
Real Madrid face an intriguing first-ever meeting with competition regulars Shakhtar Donetsk at the Santiago Bernabeu as Rafa Benitez prepares to make his European bow with the record 10-time champions. Cristiano Ronaldo extinguished any fears over his form in emphatic style on Saturday by scoring five goals in Madrid's thumping 6-0 win over Espanyol in La Liga that saw him overtake Raul as the club's all-time leading league goalscorer. Shakhtar, who had their five-year reign in Ukraine ended by Dynamo Kiev last season, are featuring in the group stage for the 11th time after knocking off Austrians Rapid Vienna in the play-off round, having already seen off Turkish outfit Fenerbahce in the previous round.
Group B
PSV Eindhoven (NED) v Manchester United (ENG)
United are back in the Champions League after a painful exile last season, their first run-out seeing Memphis Depay make a quick return to the club he left in the summer. The sides clashed at the same stage of the 2000/2001 competition, with honours shared -- United losing 3-1 on the road, turning the tables with the same scoreline at Old Trafford. PSV gained automatic qualification as Dutch champions, while Louis van Gaal's United eased through the play-off route 7-1 against Brugge. The two coaches are well known to each other -- PSV boss Phillip Cocu having played under van Gaal at both Barcelona and for the Netherlands.
Wolfsburg (GER) v CSKA Moscow (RUS)
This encounter has a distinct sense of deja vu about it as Wolfsburg hosted their Russian rivals in their only previous Champions League campaign in 2009. The Bundesliga runners-up came out on top that day, only to fall in Moscow and eventually miss out on the knockout stages. Wolfsburg, quarter-finalists in the Europa League last season, are on a 24-match unbeaten run in the Bundesliga at home. CSKA, though, had been on a cluib record seven straight league wins before being held by Russian champions Zenit St Petersburg 2-2 on Saturday.
Group C
Galatasaray (TUR) v Atletico Madrid (ESP)
Turkish champions Galatasaray enjoyed their finest European hour in 2000, when they defeated Arsenal on penalties to win the former UEFA Cup. They host 2014 finalists Atletico Madrid, who last lifted the European Cup in 1962 but tasted their first league defeat of the early season on Saturday when they went down 2-1 against Barcelona. Dutch maestro Wesley Sneijder will pull the strings for the home side at the Turk Telecom Arena while German international striker Lukas Podolski is the main threat up front.
Benfica (POR) v Astana (KAZ)
Portuguese giants Benfica came agonisingly close to European glory, for the first time since back-to-back European Cups in 1961 and 1962, when losing the 2013 and 2014 Europa League finals to Chelsea and Sevilla respectively. They take on Kazakh debutants Astana who are the first team from their country to qualify for the Champions League group phase. Benfica won a record-extending 34th domestic title last season and are now under the guidance of Rui Vitoria after Jorge Jesus surprisingly departed for city rivals Sporting Lisbon in the off-season. Benfica warmed up for the tie at their Estadio da Luz with a 6-0 thrashing of Belenenses on Friday.
Group D
Manchester City (ENG) v Juventus (ITA)
What should be a meeting between European giants has a feeling of uncertainty about it. City have got off to a flying start in the Premier League with five wins from five but their Champions League record over the last four years has been dire, to say the least, twice failing to get out of the group stage and then twice losing to Barcelona in the second round. Juventus, by contrast, went all the way to a surprise appearance in the final last year, before Barca beat them 3-1. But they have yet to win in three league games this season and confidence is low ahead of their trip to the Eastlands.
Sevilla (ESP) Borussia Moenchengladbach (GER)
On paper, at least, this looked like the toughest group in the competition with teams from the traditional big four European super-powers. Yet Manchester City are the only ones ot have won a domestic match this season. Sevilla have managed two draws but two weeks ago they lost 3-0 at home to Atletico Madrid. Gladbach, though, have had a disastrous start to their campaign and are rock bottom of the Bundesliga after four straight losses, including Friday night's 3-0 reverse at home to Hamburg. Sevilla at least have strong recent European pedigree, winning the Europa League the last two seasons, including knocking out Borussia seven months ago in the round of 32. The Germans are making their first group stage participation after losing out in the play-offs three years ago.
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