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Schmidt remains confident of Leverkusen progression
19 August 2015 01:39
Bayer Leverkusen coach Roger Schmidt still fancies his team's chances of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League group stage, despite Tuesday's first-leg loss in Rome.
Lazio hold a slender advantage in the play-off tie thanks to second-half substitute Balde Keita, who came off the bench and netted the match-winning goal in the 77th minute at Stadio Olimpico.
Leverkusen had their chances in the Italian capital after Lars Bender rattled the post with a powerful effort from distance in the first half, while team-mates Hakan Calhanoglu and Admir Mehmedi both came close to finding the back of the net.
The Bundesliga side will return to Germany for next week's second leg and Schmidt is counting on Leverkusen's home form to see them through.
Leverkusen have won seven consecutive league matches at BayArena and conceded only one goal.
"It was an intense match. We had several opportunities to score, but we weren't able to do so," Schmidt told reporters.
"However, Lazio did – they have a strong team. Now we have the return match where we will try to overturn this result.
"Ahead of the home tie, we will work on our counterattacking and on our defensive game – we will do our best.
"We have worked well in recent weeks and we are pretty confident [of progressing]. It's only 1-0 and above all we are playing at home.
"Let us not forget we are enormously strong on home turf. Nothing has been decided yet."
Preud'homme: Brugge need a miracle against Manchester United
By Nicholas McGee10
Aug 25, 2015 19:11:19
The Belgian Pro League champions were beaten 3-1 by Louis van Gaal's men in the first leg of the European qualification clash, and the 56-year-old is pessimistic ahead of the tie
Michel Preud'homme believes that Club Brugge will need a miracle to overturn their first-leg deficit against Manchester United and progress to the Champions League group stages on Wednesday.
The Belgian Pro League champions were beaten 3-1 at Old Trafford last week, with Memphis Depay netting a double and Marouane Fellaini sealing the win after Preud'homme's men had taken the lead.
Brugge will face United in the second leg on Wednesday but Preud'homme is pessimistic over his side's chances against Louis van Gaal's men.
"Miracles happen sometimes, but they are two goals in front and they are a very professional team," Preud'homme told reporters.
"To get a miracle, you need to be perfect and you need the other to not play at his best potential. We have a lot of players out, too.
"If we want to have a chance, we have to be perfect. It will be very difficult, but let's pray.
"This United team can live with pressure.
"They have it each day, each minute in each game. When you see this team playing, they play on their quality, against Tottenham, against Newcastle, against us. They keep doing the same.
"I don't think they'll have more pressure if we score, but it's important for our confidence if we score."
Club Brugge - Manchester United Preview: Shaw determined to progress in style
By Peter Thompson4
Aug 25, 2015 14:30:34
The England international admits there is a need for the Red Devils to bounce back after their Newcastle frustration but believes his team-mates will re-find their scoring touch...
Luke Shaw is planning to take the frustration of Manchester United's draw with Newcastle out on Club Brugge in Wednesday's Champions League play-off second leg.
Louis van Gaal's side were unable to make it three Premier League wins out of three at the start of the season as they were held to a goalless draw by Steve McClaren's men at Old Trafford on Saturday.
Much has been made of United needing a new striker before the transfer window closes, having scored just two goals in their first three top-flight matches.
They did find the back of the net three times against Brugge in the first leg on home soil last week, though, coming from behind to ensure they will take a 3-1 lead to Jan Breydel Stadion.
Memphis Depay scored twice and Marouane Fellaini added a third in stoppage time after Michael Carrick's own goal gave Brugge, who had Brandon Mechele sent off 10 minutes from time, a shock early lead.
Shaw insists he is not concerned by United's lack of goals and the England left-back is confident the favourites can finish off the job in Belgium.
He told MUTV: "It wasn't to be [against Newcastle], but we've got a game just around the corner [against Brugge] and I think it’s only good for us. We'll get back up and try to win that game.
"I think it's the best thing for us, when we feel that we’ve dropped two points. It’s very important that there's another game and it's even more important that we try to win it.
"I'm sure we'll start scoring many goals soon. We've got so much quality up front that it’s only a matter of time before someone puts one away and we’ll be flying again."
Brugge also head into the game on the back of a setback at the weekend, with Zulte-Waregem consigning Michel Preud'homme's men to a 2-0 Belgian Pro League defeat.
After finishing second last season, Brugge have already lost two of their first five games in the league and will have to pull off a major shock to progress to the group stage for the first time in a decade.
Brugge are unbeaten in 10 home matches in Europe, though, and with an away goal in the bank they will be out to deny United a return to the group stage after the English club missed out on Europe altogether last season.
United will again be without Phil Jones (thrombosis), while Brugge are unable to call upon Mechele due to suspension following his dismissal in the first leg and captain Timmy Simons (hamstring).
Monaco 2-1 Valencia (agg 3-4): Negredo strike edges Los Che through
Aug 25, 2015 21:37:00
The striker's sublime chipped effort just four minutes in saw the visitors through - despite a spirited fightback from the hosts featuring goals from Andrea Raggi and Elderson
Valencia dumped Monaco out of this season's Champions League despite losing 2-1 at the Stade Louis II on Tuesday, with the Spaniards progressing to the group stage 4-3 on aggregate.
With Los Che having triumphed 3-1 at Mestalla last week, Alvaro Negredo looked to have put the outcome beyond all doubt when he found the back of the net after just four minutes of play in the principality with a sublime chipped effort.
However, Andrea Raggi promptly equalised for the hosts, who then set up a grandstand finish when Elderson Echiejile netted with just a quarter of an hour remaining. Valencia, though, held firm to take their place in Thursday's draw for the group stage.
Nuno's side had finished the stronger of the two in last week's first leg at Mestalla, with Sofiane Feghouli giving the Liga outfit a 3-1 advantage with his 86th-minute strike.
Valencia effectively picked up where they had left off in Spain, dominating from the very first whistle at the Stade Louis II. Indeed, Danijel Subasic has already made one sensational save with his feet to keep out Shkodran Mustafi's close-range header from a corner by the time Valencia broke the deadlock just four minutes in.
Monaco only had themselves to blame, or more accurately, Fabinho, who blindly passed the ball straight to Negredo. However, what followed was utterly sublime, with the former Manchester City striker advancing into the area before catching Subasic completely by surprise by dinking the ball over him with a wonderfully disguised swing of his left foot.
Negredo could - and perhaps should - have struck again moments later when Rodrigo found him unmarked in the area but this time the Spain international fired wastefully over the bar.
A second Valencia goal would have well and truly killed the tie as a contest but, as it was, Monaco gave themselves a lifeline when Raggi turned smartly in the area and found the bottom right corner with a low strike, after Mathew Ryan had failed dismally to claim a cross.
The equaliser unsurprisingly lifted Monaco, who took the game to their visitors for the remainder of the half, but Valencia continued to a threat at set-pieces, with Dani Parejo heading wide from a corner when the captain really should have scored.
Needing two goals just to force extra-time, Monaco continued to press after the interval - but to little effect, with Valencia coping comfortably with everything that Leonardo Jardim's men could throw at them. However, with just 15 minutes remaining, the home side were once again gifted a lifeline by Ryan.
The Australian goalkeeper failed to deal with an in-swinging free kick from wide on the left winning, succeeding in only palming the cross in the direction of the onrushing Guido Carrillo, with the ball then dropping fortuitously at the feet of Elderson, who lashed it home at the back post.
Monaco poured forward in the closing stages but Ryan went some way towards atoning for his earlier errors by keeping out an awkwardly bouncing, long-range effort from Thomas Lemar to see Valencia through.
Malmo 2-0 Celtic (agg 4-3): Deila's men dumped out at play-off stage
Aug 25, 2015 21:38:00
The Scottish club were well beaten by their Swedish opponents in the second round of their Champions League qualification tie, with Ronny Deila's men subsequently eliminated
Celtic were knocked out of the Champions League at the qualification stages on Tuesday evening as a Markus Rosenberg strike and a Dedryck Boyata own goal gave Malmo a comfortable 2-0 win at Swedbank Stadion.
The result handed Age Hareide's team a 4-3 aggregate victory - a reward for the attacking intent they showed throughout the tie.
Experienced striker Rosenberg handed them a first-half advantage before Nir Bitton had a goal harshly ruled out for Celtic on the stroke of half time.
Further set-piece frailties undermined Ronny Deila's men as Boyata put through his own goal after the interval.
It was a particularly sweet triumph for Malmo, after a tetchy war of words between the two camps dominated the pre-match build-up, and one lapped up by a raucous Swedbank Stadion crowd.
For Celtic, they fall short at the final hurdle for the second season in succession having lost to Maribor last term, and the wait goes on for a return to the competition proper at Celtic Park.
Jo Inge Berget netted a vital brace for Malmo in the first leg and looked to pile further misery on his former employers when he lashed wide from 18 yards in the third minute.
Malmo goalkeeper Johan Wiland got an important touch on a lofted ball from the right, causing Virgil van Dijk to head wide and the Dutch defender would rue that miss in the 23rd minute.
Having battled to win a corner, Rosenberg rose unchallenged in front of keeper Craig Gordon to divert in Yoshimar Yotun’s inswinger.
Leigh Griffiths was a touch fortunate to only be booked after tangling with Malmo defender Anton Tinnerholm and Celtic's frustrations were further increased when Bitton converted Stuart Armstrong's corner, only for the referee to award a free-kick in Malmo’s favour despite their defender Kari Arnason appearing to handle the ball.
Gordon stood firm to brilliantly thwart Nikola Djurdjic on the end of a Rosenberg backheel in the final minute of a pulsating half.
Malmo continued where they left off in the second period as Rosenberg flashed narrowly wide from Djurdjic’s cutback.
Celtic continued to press but fell further behind in the 54th minute - a particularly bitter pill for Gordon to swallow.
The goalkeeper made a magnificent double save, denying Vladimir Rodic on the angle and responding to Rosenberg's follow-up but, from the resulting corner, Felipe Carvalho got ahead of the Celtic defence at the near post again and Boyata could only turn into his own net on the line.
Celtic then needed to score twice and the urgency of their situation was summed up as Griffiths sliced over from a Stefan Johansen flick-on - their attacking becoming more fitful.
Delia's men battled gamely until the end but were left to rue their set-piece flimsiness as Malmo celebrated securing their place in the group stage.
Club Brugge 0-4 Manchester United (agg 1-7): Rooney nets hat-trick as Red Devils qualify for Champions League
Aug 26, 2015 21:34:00
The England captain ended his goal drought in stunning fashion against the Belgian side in the play-off second leg on Wednesday, with Ander Herrera also on the scoresheet
Wayne Rooney ended his goal drought in sublime fashion against Club Brugge on Wednesday, scoring a hat-trick as Manchester United ran out 4-0 winners in the second leg of their Champions League play-off.
The England captain had gone 10 United games without netting, but showed no signs of any lack of confidence in this comfortable play-off second-leg victory over an injury-plagued Brugge.
Having triumphed 3-1 at Old Trafford last week, United had little trouble in securing an emphatic aggregate success and a place in Thursday's group stage draw in Monaco.
Rooney's first arrived after 20 minutes following excellent work from Memphis Depay and he doubled his tally with an easy tap-in shortly after half-time.
Juan Mata teed him up to net his third just before the hour, as Rooney completed his first European hat-trick since his debut against Fenerbahce back in 2004.
Ander Herrera, making his first start of the season, added a fourth as United ran riot in the second period - Javier Hernandez also missed a penalty - and Louis van Gaal's men can now look forward to a return to Europe's premier club competition following their absence in 2014-15.
After a low-key opening saw Rooney's long wait for a goal extended to 878 minutes, the forward got himself on the scoresheet in fine style.
Depay cut in from the left-hand side and slipped in a delicate pass for the England striker, who lifted a deft finish over debutant goalkeeper Sinan Bolat and into the net.
Rooney returned the favour nine minutes later with a chipped ball to Depay, but his first touch let him down and Bolat was able to gather.
Depay continued to threaten and broke clear on goal, only to see his eventual shot blocked by Oscar Duarte.
In the 41st minute, Brugge's Tom De Sutter stung the palms of Sergio Romero, who did brilliantly to steal the ball from the feet of Abdoulay Diaby soon afterwards.
Brugge were left to further rue that miss four minutes after the restart as Herrera teed up Rooney for a simple tap-in.
And Rooney completed his treble in the 57th minute with a calm finish through Bolat's legs following Mata's cute pass.
Bolat saved well to deny Rooney a fourth a minute later, but the respite was brief as substitute Bastian Schweinsteiger played a sublime ball to Herrera, who coolly slotted home.
Hans Vanaken then went close for salvaging a measure of pride for Brugge but his thunderous volley crashed into the crossbar.
It could have been worse for the home side had substitute Hernandez not sent his spot-kick wide when slipping at the point of contact after Duarte had handled Rooney's cross, but it mattered little as United advanced.
Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 Lazio (agg 3-1): Bellarabi seals victory to send Germans through
By Greg Lea
Aug 26, 2015 21:34:00
The midfielder grabbed a goal late on to book the Bundesliga outfit's place in the group stage after Admir Mehmedi and Hakan Calhanoglu had set them on their way to victory
Goals from Hakan Calhanoglu, Admir Mehmedi and Karim Bellarabi helped Bayer Leverkusen overturn a first-leg deficit to qualify for the group stage of the Champions League at Lazio's expense.
Calhanoglu opened the scoring after 40 minutes as Lazio failed to clear their lines, before Mehmedi grabbed the crucial goal shortly after play resumed in the second half.
Bellarabi then wrapped up the victory after Lazio defender Mauricio had been shown a second yellow card.
Rodger Schmidt's charges will now be included in Thursday's group stage draw, with Lazio dropping down into the Europa League.
Leverkusen made one change to the XI that took to the field in the first leg, forward Mehmedi replacing Son Heung-min, who looks to be on the verge of a move to Tottenham Hotspur.
Lazio made three alterations of their own, Stefan Radu and Keita Balde Diao, the goalscoring hero in Rome last week, coming in for injured duo Lucas Biglia and Miroslav Klose.
The visitors had an excellent chance to double their aggregate lead early on, Keita failing to get a shot away after defender Jonathan Tah struggled to deal with Ogenyi Onazi's flick-on, before Felipe Anderson's strike from just outside the box was blocked by the Leverkusen centre back.
Schmidt's side began to settle soon after, though, Bellarabi dragging an effort wide of the post before Calhanoglu had a shot blocked from 30 yards out.
Calhanoglu again went close with a fierce drive that Lazio keeper Etrit Berisha was forced to palm clear, with Stefan Kiessling hitting the bar with a looping header from the edge of the box just moments later.
Lazio, however, began to come back into the game soon after and were somewhat unfortunate to have a penalty appeal waved away after Keita was pushed by Tah inside the area.
The Italians seemed to have done enough to go in at half-time with their first-leg advantage in tact, but Leverkusen struck just five minutes before the interval, Onazi's attempted clearance richocheting off Radu and falling to Calhanoglu, who swept the ball home to level the tie.
Things got even worse for Lazio after the break, Mehmedi rolling Mauricio and finishing cooly past Berisha in the visitors' goal.
Leverkusen almost put the tie out of their opponents' reach in the 51st minute, Berisha doing well to deny Calhanoglu his second goal and the Germans' third.
Lazio threatened by carving out a couple of decent opportunities, but Mauricio's dismissal for a foul on Kiessling made things extremely difficult for them.
Pioli introduced Ricardo Kishna and Ravel Morrison as his team chased the away goal that would have put them through, but Bellerabi sealed the victory after Julian Brandt ran through on goal and squared the ball to him in a position from which he could not miss.
Lazio not good enough for the Champions League, admits Pioli
By Joe Wright
Aug 26, 2015 23:05:46
The 49-year-old accepts his side were a level below Bayer Leverkusen following a 3-1 aggregate playoff defeat
Stefano Pioli admits Lazio are still well short of Champions League quality following their 3-1 aggregate playoff defeat by Bayer Leverkusen.
The Serie A side took a 1-0 lead to Germany for the second leg on Tuesday but were beaten thanks to goals from Hakan Calhanoglu, Admir Mehmedi and Karim Bellarabi, while defender Mauricio was sent off with just over 20 minutes to play.
"Leverkusen were better than us," Pioli, 49, told Mediaset Premium. "We lost the game because they played at a higher tempo and we made far too many mistakes.
"The first half was quite balanced really and we were naive, but overall Leverkusen created more, pressed harder and deserved to win.
"This is proof that we probably aren't ready yet for this level, but we also want to grow and we can still do well in Serie A, the Europa League and Coppa Italia.
"We're preparing to reach this level. We aren't there yet, but have a quality squad and I'm sure we will get back on our feet quickly."
Lazio's defeat means they are automatically assured of a spot in the Europa League group phase this season, with the draw to be held on Friday.
The Red Devils boss saw his main striker net a hat-trick in the 4-0 victory against Club Brugge, which sealed progression to the Champions League group stages
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal believes Wayne Rooney proved his ability to bounce back from criticism, but insists the striker and his team-mates have a "long way to go" this season.
Rooney netted a hat-trick as United beat Club Brugge 4-0 on the night and 7-1 on aggregate to qualify for the Champions League proper.
Those were the first goals of a difficult campaign to date for the England striker, who has come under fire for some of his early season performances, but Van Gaal says he has the right mindset to recover.
"I have given him always the confidence that a player needs, but I think Wayne has a very strong mentality and with his level he always shall come back," he told reporters. "He proved that this evening, but also there's still a long way for him and also for Manchester United."
On the performance, the United boss added: "I'm very happy. It was very important to qualify for the Champions League and we've done it.
"We need more victories like this, that's four clean sheets. And we created chances, but Brugge had to come and leave us with chances. But I was happy."
Van Gaal handed Ander Herrera a place in the starting line-up for the first time this season in Belgium, and after a slow start he set up the second of Rooney's treble and found the net himself.
"He started not so good, he had a lot of ball losses and got a yellow card so I wanted to change him. But I saw he was coming back, and he came into the game. I saw he played well in the double-6 position, but also later in 10 so I'm very happy for him."
United will be in pot two for the Champions League group stage draw on Thursday evening, but Van Gaal says he will be watching the reserves play an Ajax XI instead.
Asked how the competition has changed since he was last involved in 2011, he replied: "I don't know all the teams, but I cannot have any influence on the draw. There was also a lady who asked me what am I going to do tomorrow, I said I shall watch the second team against Ajax because that's more important for me because I can't influence the draw."
Astana make Champions League history as CSKA stun Sporting
By Harry West
Aug 27, 2015 00:07:31
Kazakhstan will witness its first side to compete in the tournament proper, while BATE have also sealed their place in the group stage
Astana became the first side from Kazakhstan to reach the group stage of the Champions League after their 1-1 draw with APOEL.
Taking a 1-0 first-leg lead to Cyprus, it looked as though extra-time could be on the cards when Semir Stilic levelled the tie midway through the second half but, with six minutes remaining, Nemanja Maksimovic ensured a slice of history for Astana.
There was a second-leg comeback in Moscow, meanwhile, as CSKA mounted a stunning revival against Sporting.
Having lost 2-1 in Portugal, CSKA fell further behind when Teofilo Gutierrez struck nine minutes prior to half-time.
But two goals from Seydou Doumbia brought the hosts level, before Ahmed Musa struck with five minutes remaining to complete the comeback, with Joao Mario sent off for Sporting in stoppage-time.
Elsewhere, BATE advanced on away goals despite a 2-1 defeat at Partizan.
With a 1-0 lead from the first leg, Igor Stasevich put the Belgrade hosts in control of the tie, although Maksim Zhavnerchik's own goal and Ivan Saponjic's strike for Partizan ensured a nervous finale for BATE before they progressed on away goals.
Wenger: Champions League Pot Two no disadvantage to Arsenal
By Tom Doyle
Aug 27, 2015 09:27:44
The French manager says Uefa's changes to the structure of the tournament group stages will not necessarily hand his Gunners side a tougher draw this year
Arsene Wenger is confident that being in Pot Two for Thursday's Champions League draw will not harm Arsenal’s chances in the competition.
Uefa’s changes to the structure of the competition this season see the champions of the top eight European nations in Pot One, meaning the Gunners could face the likes of Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Juventus or Paris Saint-Germain.
But despite a potentially tough group for the Gunners, Wenger believes that having certain title winners in Pot One could actually benefit his team in the long run.
“I don’t think it will change anything,” he told the club’s official website. “It will just put some weaker teams in Pot One.
“When you look at the structure of the groups, you don’t necessarily have a disadvantage by being in Pot Two because it looks as strong because of the recent history of the teams that are there.
“Ideally you want a group where you have a chance to come out in the top position, no matter how far you go. It helps sometimes mentally not to go too far.
“Before sometimes, 10 or 12 years ago, your focus was more on every Champions League game and you knew that in the Premier League you could get away with resting one or two players.
“We are now in a situation where you don’t make a difference between Champions League and Premier League, you just try to win the next game.”
Premier League champions Chelsea go into Pot One as title holders, with Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City in Pot Two.
Pot Three holds strong opponents with the likes of Roma, Lyon, CSKA Moscow and Europa League winners Sevilla, while Bundesliga duo Wolfsburg and Borussia Monchengladbach are dark horses in Pot Four.
The draw takes place on Thursday at 17.45 GMT. The group stage begins on September 15, with the last matchday coming on December 9.
The likes of Chelsea, Manchester City, Real Madrid and Barcelona will find out their opponents in the first stage of the competition proper on Thursday. Check out Goal's guide!
The Champions League group stages are looming ever larger on the horizon, with Europe's top clubs set to find out their group stage opponents on Thursday.
With the qualifiers safely negotiated for the likes of Manchester United, Malmo and Valencia, we now know the identity of the 32 teams who will complete this season's competition.
WHEN IS THE DRAW?
The draw will take place on August 27 at 5.45pm UK time. It will be made in Monaco.
WHICH POTS ARE THE ENGLISH CLUBS IN?
As champions of England, Chelsea will be in Pot 1, meaning they will avoid fellow 2014-15 title winners, though they may still be drawn against the likes of Real Madrid or Atletico.
Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City, meanwhile, go into Pot 2, despite Louis van Gaal’s men having to overcome Club Brugge to qualify for the group stages.
As such, all three sides are guaranteed to face a champion of a European league in the groups this season, with the teams ranging from Bayern Munich and Barcelona to PSV.
Full Pots
Pot 1: Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Benfica, PSG, Juventus, Zenit St Petersburg, PSV
Pot 2: Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Porto, Arsenal, Manchester United, Bayer Leverkusen, Manchester City, Valencia
Pot 3: Shakhtar Donetsk, Sevilla, Lyon, Dynamo Kiev, Olympiacos, CSKA Moscow, Galatasaray, Roma
Pot 4: Astana, Bate Borisov, Borussia Monchengladbach, Wolfsburg, Dinamo Zagreb, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Gent, Malmo
WHEN WILL THE GAMES BE PLAYED?
The group stages begins on September 15, with the last matchday coming on December 9.
Real Madrid to meet PSG in Champions League, Barca drawn with Leverkusen
27 August 2015 18:52
Angel di Maria will return to Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League group stage after Paris Saint-Germain were drawn alongside the 10-time European champions in Group A.
The Argentina international left the Santiago Bernabeu in 2014 for Manchester United, but never faced Real while at Old Trafford.
He will get that opportunity in Group A after his new club were pitched against Rafael Benitez's side, with Shakhtar Donetsk and Malmo – PSG talisman Zlatan Ibrahimovic's first club – completing the group.
Manchester United's return to the group phase will see them go head to head with Eredivisie champions PSV.
Louis van Gaal's side were not involved in last season's competition, but rejoined the continental elite on Wednesday with a comprehensive 4-0 second-leg victory over Club Brugge – completing a 7-1 aggregate triumph in their qualifier.
Their quest to reach the final in Milan sees them drawn in Group B with top seeds PSV, the pair joined by CSKA Moscow and Wolfsburg.
Defending champions Barcelona were the first name drawn in Monaco on Thursday, with Luis Enrique's men to face Bayer Leverkusen – a side they beat 10-2 on aggregate in the 2011-12 Round of 16 – Roma and BATE in Group E as they look to become the first side to successfully defend the title.
Jose Mourinho will return to the club he won the trophy with in 2004 as Chelsea face Porto in Group G, while in Group F Bayern Munich will meet Arsenal for the third time in four seasons.
Arsenal draw Bayern Munich, Manchester United face PSV: Champions League group stage draw in full
Aug 27, 2015 17:00:00
Arsene Wenger's side will take on the Bundesliga champions while Manchester City take on Juventus and Chelsea face Jose Mourinho's former side Porto
Arsenal will face Bayern Munich in the group stages of the Champions League having been drawn together in Group F.
The Gunners will also face Olympiakos and Dinamo Zagreb as they look to plot a way through to the knockout stages for the 14th consecutive season.
Meanwhile, Manchester United will take on PSV, CSKA Moscow and Wolfsburg while Premier League champions Chelsea face Jose Mourinho's former side Porto, Dynamo Kiev and Maccabi Tel-Aviv.
Manchester City will take on Juventus, Europa League champions Sevilla and Borussia Monchengladbach, while reigning champions Barcelona face Bayer Leverkusen, Roma and BATE Borisov.
Real Madrid, meanwhile, have been drawn alongside Paris Saint-Germain, Shakhtar Donetsk and Malmo.
Arsenal's clash with Pep Guardiola's side will see the north London outfit again take on German opposition having faced Borussia Dortmund in three of the past four seasons.
United, meanwhile, take on Dutch champions PSV, which will see Memphis Depay return to the club that he helped to Eredivisie glory while City will be looking to win the group for the first time ahead of last season's runners-up Juventus.
Group A sees Real Madrid take on Ligue 1 champions PSG in one of the round's glamour ties while Zlatan Ibrahimovic will return to boyhood club Malmo.
In the two other groups, Atletico Madrid will take on Benfica, Galatasaray and debutants Astana while Valencia face Zenit, Lyon and Gent.
The 28-year-old has picked up his first individual award of the season after being handed the prize after the Champions League group stage draw
Lionel Messi has won the Uefa Best Player in Europe Award for the second time after beating Luis Suarez and Cristiano Ronaldo to the prize.
The 28-year-old shone in the second half of last season as he inspired Barcelona to the treble, with the club lifting the Champions League, Copa del Rey and La Liga.
He was awarded the trophy after the group stage draw for this year's Champions League and thanked his team-mates in the aftermath of the event.
"It was an incredible year for us," he said. "I don't know if there's a secret, the dressing room was united and that made for an unforgettable year.
"Thanks to my team-mates, we are all represented. I wouldn't be here if not for them and the club."
Messi finished level on goals with Real Madrid star Ronaldo and Barcelona team-mate Neymar in Europe in 2014-15 - as all three men found the back of the net 10 times.
His Champions League haul helped him to a final tally of 62 goals in 67 games in all competitions for club and country, which means he is again likely to battle it out with Ronaldo for the Ballon d'Or in January.
Messi first won the Uefa Best Player in Europe Award back in 2011 on the back of helping the Catalans win yet another European crown.
Van Gaal & Man Utd get Champions League golden ticket...but now the hard work starts
Aug 27, 2015 19:00:00
The Old Trafford giants breezed into the group stages after thrashing Brugge 7-1 on aggregate and were handed an equally favourable draw in Monaco on Thursday
By Kris Voakes On Wednesday afternoon Manchester United’s Champions League future was hanging in the balance, with question marks over their direction in the transfer market undermining their desire to progress deep into the competition.
Yet just 24 hours on they were immediately installed as one of the favourites to make it into the Round of 16 after landing one of the luckiest Champions League draws of recent times, even by their standards. United have had easy routes before, but few have been kinder than this one.
They could have drawn Barcelona, Shakhtar Donetsk and Borussia Monchengladbach. Instead they face PSV, CSKA Moscow and Wolfsburg. At a time when questions are being asked as to the club’s preparation for the bigger challenges to come, we might have to wait until the Round of 16 before the Red Devils are truly pushed on the European stage.
PSV present a romantic return for Memphis Depay just a matter of months after he left Eindhoven for Old Trafford in a deal worth around £25 million, but a repeat of the Mark van Bommel and Mateja Kezman-inspired 2000 defeat is a hugely unlikely prospect given the fact Dutch football continues to fade in the wider arena.
Perhaps the trickiest aspect of the clashes with CSKA Moscow is the logistically-challenging journey to Russia during the cold autumn and winter months, while Wolfsburg will only present a challenge if Manchester City somehow allow Kevin De Bruyne to slip through their fingers before September 2.
They came up against both CKSA and Wolfsburg in the group stage in 2009-10, but only Besiktas – the remaining team in the group – truly troubled United. And a repeat is likely, with De Bruyne’s likely departure being a huge boost as they come to face the Germans. A team set up to play around a playmaker heading for the exit door will have quite some reorganising to do if they are to cause United any kind of problems.
The bottom line is that Louis van Gaal and United have got out of jail. After a summer in which they have dallied in the transfer market at great cost, spectacularly missing out on Pedro Rodriguez, being so obviously used by Sergio Ramos and being usurped by neighbours City over Nicolas Otamendi, a testing time in the Champions League might well have exposed the three-time European champions’ glass jaw.
But after being handed a relatively simply route past Club Brugge into the group stage, they now have a similarly straightforward path to the post-Christmas phase of the competition. United really have got away with it, and the timing couldn’t have been better.
Rarely have they looked so ill-prepared for a Champions League campaign. Van Gaal admitted when reviewing Wayne Rooney’s hat-trick in Bruges on Wednesday night that his men are still have a lot of work to do to reach the level he wants from them.
"I think Wayne has a very strong mentality and with his level he always shall come back," he told reporters. "He proved that this evening, but also there's still a long way for him and also for Manchester United."
Such a comment should come as no surprise given that just five days from the closure of the transfer window, United have done nothing about addressing the two gaping holes that Van Gaal has spoken of for some time. David De Gea has never looked more desperate to leave, while a pacey attacker is yet to be found after the Pedro affair came to an embarrassing end.
There are arguably big questions elsewhere too with the defence looking low on authority and mobility being in short supply in the midfield, not to mention the potential need for an out-and-out centre forward.
Never did United need a favourable draw more than they do right now. They should still have more than enough to get through Group B and play a part in the round of 16, but quite how they will shape up when they get there is the big question as the transfer deadline looms ever larger.
Their Premier League position come February will doubtless tell us more about United than their Champions League progression, with tougher tasks on the cards at home than abroad.
United’s European prospects over the autumn and winter look bright, but now the focus must fall on whipping the squad into shape before the closure of the window if they are to be anywhere near as successful come the spring.
Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini says his team have no excuses for failure this season after their spending spree.
After a trophy-less campaign in 2014-15, City have signed the likes of Raheem Sterling and Nicolas Otamendi, while Kevin De Bruyne's move from Wolfsburg is expected before the transfer window closes.
The Belgium international's signing is set to take the Premier League club's spending to around the £150million mark.
Pellegrini, whose team have won all three of their games to start the season ahead of hosting Watford on Saturday, said a title was needed.
"Last season we had some restrictions but I didn't give any excuse not to win the title," the Chilean said.
"This team must try to win titles every year. It's not so easy because you have strong teams here in the Premier League and in the Champions League.
"But we must try to do it. The best way to at least try is to have a good squad. That's what we are trying to do now and we finish on Tuesday when the transfer window is closed."
City have scored the most goals in Pellegrini's two Premier League seasons in charge, but finished eight points behind Chelsea in 2014-15.
Pellegrini said he wanted his team to keep scoring and attacking, despite suggestions City would be better suited to being more defensive – having conceded more than any other top-four team last season.
"One thing I never conceded was to change the style because you won't get the results you need," he said.
"I started working here two seasons ago. In the first season, we won two titles and were the highest-scoring team. I don't like to change style because I think the fans deserve attacking football that really delights them."
City have drawn Juventus, Sevilla and Borussia Monchengladbach in Group D of the Champions League.
The goalkeeper has yet to appear for the club this season and was left out of the squad for the group stages, but insists that he will continue to work hard at Old Trafford
Victor Valdes insists that he will continue to give his all at Manchester United, despite being snubbed yet again by Louis van Gaal.
The Spaniard, who joined the club on a free transfer earlier this year, was not named in United’s squad for the Champions League group stages on Wednesday, and has previously clashed with Van Gaal.
Valdes, who is yet to feature for the club in the 2015-16 campaign, was previously criticised by the Dutchman for refusing to play for the club’s Under-21 team, which led to a stinging response from the former Barcelona shot-stopper.
Despite his latest snub, Valdes has vowed to keep working hard to try and force his way into the reckoning at Old Trafford, and has thanked United’s fans for their support.
“No matter what happens. The only way I know is to work hard every day,” he wrote on Facebook.
“Thank you all for your support!”
Valdes was expected to leave United in the summer, but remained at the club despite links with Besiktas and Valencia.
