Not bad draws in the Champions League for both Juventus and AC Milan. These are the only two Serie A sides represented in the group stages as Udinese were eliminated on penalties by Sporting Braga earlier in the week.
Milan face Zenit, Anderlecht and Liga side Malaga while Juventus take on Chelsea, Shakhtar Donetsk and newcomers FC Nordsjaellandin the Champions League draw.
Milan were one of the top seeds, and they will be happy to have avoided some of the lower seeded big names like Manchester City, PSG and Dortmund. In a group with Luciano Spalletti’s Zenit St. Petersburg, Belgians Anderlecht and Liga side Malaga, AC Milan has to feel confident that they can progress to the knockout stages.
The task of advancing will be a little tougher for Juventus as they have been drawn against reigning champions Chelsea, Ukrainians Shakhtar Donetsk and Danish debutants FC Nordsjaellandin. Chelsea and Shakhtar will be tough opponents, but if Juve can get maximum points from their home matches they will advance to the knockout stages.
Undoubtedly the Group of Death is D, containing Real Madrid, Manchester City, Ajax and Borussia Dortmund.
Here are all the Champions League groups:
Group A:
Porto
Dynamo Kiev
Paris St Germain
Dinamo Zagreb
Group B:
Arsenal
Schalke
Olympiacos
Montpellier
Group C:
AC Milan
Zenit St Petersburg
Anderlecht
Malaga
Group D:
Real Madrid
Man City
Ajax
Borussia Dortmund
Group E:
Chelsea
Shakhtar Donetsk
Juventus
FC Nordsjaelland
Group F:
Bayern Munich
Valencia
Lille
BATE Borisov
Group G:
Barcelona
Benfica
Spartak Moscow
Celtic
Group H:
Man Utd
Braga
Galatasaray