Champions League 201415 group stage draw as it happened (Guardian)

ullia hrefhttpwww.theguardian.comfootball2014aug28championsleaguedrawliverpoolmanchestercitymadridbayernromaLiverpool face Real Madrid Basel and Ludogoretsalilia hrefhttpwww.theguardian.comfootball2014aug28championsleaguedrawliverpoolmanchestercitymadridbayernromaBayern face Manchester City CSKA and Romaalilia hrefhttpwww.theguardian.comfootball2014aug28championsleaguedrawliverpoolmanchestercitymadridbayernromaArsenal land Dortmund Galatasaray and Anderlechtalilia hrefhttpwww.theguardian.comfootball2014aug28championsleaguedrawliverpoolmanchestercitymadridbayernromaSchalke Sporting and Maribor await for Chelseaaliulp classblocktime publishedtime time datetime20140828T175407.14001005.54pm span classtimezoneBSTspantime pp classblocktime publishedtime time datetime20140828T174845.03901005.48pm span classtimezoneBSTspantime ppstrongWith the usual noeasygame provisos ... strongThats a decent draw for Chelsea. It could have been a lot worse for Liverpool. But Arsenal and Manchester City have been handed the trickiest tests. More on the draw in your super soaraway Guardian anon but for now the last word goes to the supporters of 1979 and 1980 champions Nottingham Forest. We Forest fans are feeling great reports Simon Frank. We are top of division two you know.pp classblocktime publishedtime time datetime20140828T174435.71201005.44pm span classtimezoneBSTspantime ppstrongAnd so heres the full draw for the 201415 Champions League group stagestrongppstrongemGroup Aemstrongem Atletico Madrid Juventus Olympiacos MalmoemstrongemGroup Bemstrongem Real Madrid Basel Liverpool LudogoretsemstrongemGroup C emstrongem Benfica Zenit Bayer Leverkusen MonacoemstrongemGroup D emstrongemArsenal Borussia Dortmund Galatasaray AnderlechtemstrongemGroup Eemstrongem Bayern Munich Manchester City CSKA Moscow RomaemstrongemGroup F emstrongemBarcelona PSG Ajax ApoelemstrongemGroup G emstrongemChelsea Schalke Sporting Lisbon MariboremstrongemGroup H emstrongemPorto Shakhtar Donetsk Athletic Bilbao Bate Borisovempp classblocktime publishedtime time datetime20140828T174309.22601005.43pm span classtimezoneBSTspantime ppstrongRoma the 1984 runnersup. strongWheres Ashley Cole going Manchester thats where And what a group this is ...ppstrongemGroup Eemstrongem Bayern Munich Manchester City CSKA Moscow Romaempp classblocktime publishedtime time datetime20140828T174220.40101005.42pm span classtimezoneBSTspantime ppstrongBate Borisov. strongThey miss out on a glamour group.ppstrongemGroup H emstrongemPorto Shakhtar Donetsk Athletic Bilbao Bate Borisovempp classblocktime publishedtime time datetime20140828T174136.31201005.41pm span classtimezoneBSTspantime ppstrongCeltic fans look at what you could have won.strong Maribor are in with ...ppstrongemGroup G emstrongemChelsea Schalke Sporting Lisbon Mariborempp classblocktime publishedtime time datetime20140828T174034.45501005.40pm span classtimezoneBSTspantime ppstrongAnderlecht next. strongAnd theyre in with Arsenal a very tough proposition for Arsene Wengers side.ppstrongemGroup D emstrongemArsenal Borussia Dortmund Galatasaray Anderlechtempp classblocktime publishedtime time datetime20140828T173942.39201005.39pm span classtimezoneBSTspantime ppstrongMalmo the 1979 finalists are in a glamour group with ...strongppstrongemGroup Aemstrongem Atletico Madrid Juventus Olympiacos Malmoempp classblocktime publishedtime time datetime20140828T173812.29701005.38pm span classtimezoneBSTspantime ppstrongApoel go in here...strongppstrongemGroup F emstrongemBarcelona PSG Ajax Apoelempp classblocktime publishedtime time datetime20140828T173718.55201005.37pm span classtimezoneBSTspantime ppstrongMonaco next.strong And this happens ...ppstrongemGroup C emstrongem Benfica Zenit Bayer Leverkusen Monacoempp classblocktime publishedtime time datetime20140828T173652.42801005.36pm span classtimezoneBSTspantime ppstrongA true legend on the stage now Francisco Gento who lifted this prize six times. Six times strongHell be pulling out the Pot 4 chappies. And the first out are the Bulgarian champions Ludogorets. Theyre in with Liverpool. Nothings easy but Brendan Rodgers would have taken this ...ppstrongemGroup Bemstrongem Real Madrid Basel Liverpool Ludogoretsempp classblocktime publishedtime time datetime20140828T173306.16701005.33pm span classtimezoneBSTspantime ppstrongAfter pot C then. Or was it pot 3 strongI cant recall. Lets not worry too much.ppstrongemGroup Aemstrongem Atletico Madrid Juventus OlympiacosemstrongemGroup Bemstrongem Real Madrid Basel LiverpoolemstrongemGroup C emstrongem Benfica Zenit Bayer LeverkusenemstrongemGroup D emstrongemArsenal Borussia Dortmund GalatasarayemstrongemGroup Eemstrongem Bayern Munich Manchester City CSKA MoscowemstrongemGroup F emstrongemBarcelona PSG AjaxemstrongemGroup G emstrongemChelsea Schalke Sporting LisbonemstrongemGroup H emstrongemPorto Shakhtar Donetsk Athletic Bilbaoempp classblocktime publishedtime time datetime20140828T173145.34101005.31pm span classtimezoneBSTspantime ppstrongSporting of Lisbon. strongTheyre in with the 2012 winners Chelsea. Which means Bayer Leverkusen are in with Benfica and Zenit and Galatasaray join Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund in what looks like a tough group.ppstrongemGroup G emstrongemChelsea Schalke Sporting LisbonemstrongemGroup C emstrongem Benfica Zenit Bayer LeverkusenemstrongemGroup D emstrongemArsenal Borussia Dortmund Galatasarayempp classblocktime publishedtime time datetime20140828T172934.57201005.29pm span classtimezoneBSTspantime ppstrongOlympiacos are up next.strong They go in with ...ppstrongemGroup Aemstrongem Atletico Madrid Juventus Olympiacosempp classblocktime publishedtime time datetime20140828T172837.10101005.28pm span classtimezoneBSTspantime ppstrongAjax of Amsterdam the fourtime winners.strong They go into a fairly exciting group alongside ...ppstrongemGroup F emstrongemBarcelona PSG Ajaxempp classblocktime publishedtime time datetime20140828T172740.30201005.27pm span classtimezoneBSTspantime ppstrongCSKA Moscow next.strong Theyre plopped into a group with the champions of EnglandppstrongemGroup Eemstrongem Bayern Munich Manchester City CSKA Moscowempp classblocktime publishedtime time datetime20140828T172652.92901005.26pm span classtimezoneBSTspantime ppstrongIts Liverpoolstrong And theyre in with the champions A rerun of the 1981 final then.ppstrongemGroup Bemstrongem Real Madrid Basel Liverpoolempp classblocktime publishedtime time datetime20140828T172554.02901005.25pm span classtimezoneBSTspantime ppstrongManuel Sanchis formerly of Real Madrid is the very man for Pot 3 action.strong His first act is to pluck Athletic of Bilbao out of the pot. Theyll be in with ...ppstrongemGroup H emstrongemPorto Shakhtar Donetsk Athletic Bilbaoempp classblocktime publishedtime time datetime20140828T172401.35401005.24pm span classtimezoneBSTspantime ppstrongAfter pot 2 this is how the groups are looking ...strongppemstrongGroup Astrong Atletico Madrid JuventusstrongGroup Bstrong Real Madrid BaselstrongGroup C strong Benfica ZenitstrongGroup D strongArsenal Borussia DortmundstrongGroup Estrong Bayern Munich Manchester CitystrongGroup F strongBarcelona PSGstrongGroup G strongChelsea SchalkestrongGroup H strongPorto Shakhtar Donetskempp classblocktime publishedtime time datetime20140828T172159.91701005.21pm span classtimezoneBSTspantime ppstrongJuventus. strongThey go in with last seasons runners up. Which means Schalke are in with Chelsea.ppemstrongGroup Astrong Atletico Madrid JuventusstrongGroup Gstrong Chelsea Schalkeempp classblocktime publishedtime time datetime20140828T172047.68701005.20pm span classtimezoneBSTspantime ppstrongBasel. strongAnd theyre in with the holders.ppemstrongGroup Bstrong Real Madrid Baselempp classblocktime publishedtime time datetime20140828T172011.20301005.20pm span classtimezoneBSTspantime ppstrongBorussia Dortmund are the next club out.strong Their 1997 hero pairs them with ...ppemstrongGroup D strongArsenal Borussia Dortmundempp classblocktime publishedtime time datetime20140828T171912.59401005.19pm span classtimezoneBSTspantime ppstrongThe first proper English action of the evening strongManchester City are out and theyve got to go in with Bayern Munich for some reason.ppemstrongGroup Estrong Bayern Munich Manchester Cityempp classblocktime publishedtime time datetime20140828T171821.91301005.18pm span classtimezoneBSTspantime ppstrongShakhtar Donetsk now. strongRiedle puts them in with ...ppemstrongGroup Hstrong Porto Shakhtar Donetskempp classblocktime publishedtime time datetime20140828T171732.07601005.17pm span classtimezoneBSTspantime ppstrongPSG are out next. strongAnd theyre in with ...ppemstrongGroup Fstrong Barcelona PSGempp classblocktime publishedtime time datetime20140828T171657.96501005.16pm span classtimezoneBSTspantime ppstrongBolton Wanderers legend Fernando Hierro who also captained Real Madrid to victory a hrefhttpwww.theguardian.comfootball2002may15minutebyminute.sportin the 2002 Champions Leaguea is the next chap out with a remit to pluck balls from pots.strong Pot 2 then. Here we go ... Zenit are out first and they go in with ... hold on Riedle has knocked the pot of balls onto the floor. Oop Perhaps they were too hot. Anyway eventually theres a new set and he does thisppemstrongGroup Cstrong Benfica Zenitempp classblocktime publishedtime time datetime20140828T171305.98601005.13pm span classtimezoneBSTspantime ppstrongAfter Pot 1 ...strongppemstrongGroup A strongAtletico MadridstrongGroup B strongReal MadridstrongGroup C strong BenficastrongGroup D strongArsenalstrongGroup E strongBayern MunichstrongGroup F strongBarcelonastrongGroup G strongChelseastrongGroup H strongPortoempp classblocktime publishedtime time datetime20140828T171020.83201005.10pm span classtimezoneBSTspantime ppstrongRight here we gostrong Uefa general secretary Gianni Infantino Iker Casillas and Karl Heinz Riedle are about to pull out the first pot of balls. Im sure wasnt the only Manchester United fan to get a little surge of excitement at the draw being today before realising it had nothing to do with me sighs David Flynn. Ah well at least theres Burnley to look forward to. Or dread depending on how you see the performance going.pp classblocktime publishedtime time datetime20140828T170026.29001005.00pm span classtimezoneBSTspantime ppstrongThe trophy has been plonked on stage.strong Well be underway in a minute. For the record when Uefa practiced heating up the balls earlier this afternoon Liverpool were drawn with Real Madrid Juventus and Monaco. No word on who Arsenal Chelsea and Manchester City were landed with but lets not lose too much sleep over it the real thing will be happening very soon. I cannot agree enough with your comment at 1630 regarding dream draws writes Richard Baker who sounds like a very nice man to me. There is nothing more annoying than pundits go on about teams hoping for the easiest draw possible. Ive spent half my life watching City lose to crap teams losing to Real Madrid and Bayern Munich makes a nice change.pp classblocktime publishedtime time datetime20140828T165501.14801004.55pm span classtimezoneBSTspantime ppstrongTheres some introductory jazz going on in Monaco right now. strongNo music as such just some Uefa suit droning on and on and on in the free style while the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo Jerzy Dudek and Luis Figo try their hardest not to yawn and look bored. This Uefa dude is in the middle of the mother of all soliloquies He must have a set of lungs like Miles Davis and the capacious cheeks of Dizzy Gillespie. Nothing to report yet is the short end. Nature of live blogs for you. Could we perhaps swap Juve for PSG in that dream draw please asks Chris Baynes. Completely agree about wanting to play the big boys but Turin 05 wasnt much fun for us travelling supporters. And while Im here Munich over Barca been there done that. And Monaco is a nightmare for away allocations so any chance of Anderlecht That said I realise you dont fix the draw and wont pass comment on whether Uefa ever do.pp classblocktime publishedtime time datetime20140828T164922.18601004.49pm span classtimezoneBSTspantime ppstrongA 5.45pm CET start my eye.strong Like everyone else I should be working writes Charles Antaki roughly 15 minutes before being asked to clear his desk but the FA photo draws me strangely. Two questions come to mind was it really taken in 1967 You know the Beatles the Apollo space missions the SixDay War Take four decades off and 1927 looks about right. The other question is less easy to resolve namely why is the gent on the right wearing an obviously false nose Or was the cold refreshment particularly potent that year I suspect well never know. Oh I think we know.pp classblocktime publishedtime time datetime20140828T164034.92701004.40pm span classtimezoneBSTspantime ppstrongThe hall at the Grimaldi Forum is filling up.strong The finger food must have run out. And the big stars are arriving one by one. Cristiano Ronaldo has turned up with his hair slicked back and RayBans on a sharp suit straight outta Goodfellas. Hed have lasted about ten frames. Too thin. More Spider than Jimmy the Gent. Arjen Robben is also dolled up like a movie star specifically Dick van Dyke out of Mary Poppins. Its an informal look. I wonder what his cockney accent is like He wont have picked one up on the Fulham Broadway. Ill level with you we should have started this at 4.45pm.pp classblocktime publishedtime time datetime20140828T163043.59201004.30pm span classtimezoneBSTspantime ppstrongDream draws for the English sides.strong How about these Any of these would be pretty goodppemstrongChelsea strongPSG Ajax Roma featuring Ashley Cole.strongArsenal strongBorussia Dortmund Galatasaray Roma featuring Ashley Cole.strongManchester City strongReal Madrid Bayer Leverkusen Anderlecht.strongLiverpoolstrong Barcelona featuring Luis Suarez Juventus Monaco.empp classblocktime publishedtime time datetime20140828T160606.25501004.06pm span classtimezoneBSTspantime ppstrongFor the record the Grimaldi Forum has staged strongThe ballet ...pp classblocktime publishedtime time datetime20140828T155520.13301003.55pm span classtimezoneBSTspantime ppstrongThats the qualifiers out of the way then. strongArsenal made it through by the skin of their teeth. Celtic meanwhile were knocked out of Europe twice before the end of August. Trailing Caley Thistle and the Accies in the Scottish Premiership the only way is up Ronny Deila. And so weve reached the Champions League proper 32 clubs one cup. It sounds like a particularly violent reimagining of a popular romantic viral hit doesnt it. But its not.ppstrongThe tournament starts to take shape today at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco where the most powerful folk in European football meet up to strike learn about tax avoidance schemes strike find out wholl be playing who in the group stages of the 201415 Champions League. strongFor the first time since the days of the old European Cup this years competition will be a free draw reducing the chances of the same old names reaching the latter stages yet again while giving a boost to some of the lesser names lending the tournament a more exotic air no of course it wont be. But we can dream its free and they cant take that away from us. The seeded pots thenp a hrefhttpwww.theguardian.comfootballlive2014aug28championsleague201415groupstagedrawliveContinue reading...a