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Champions League draw: Man City face Bayern; Celtic get Barcelona and Arsenal face Dortmund

Celtic forward Georgios Samaras competes with Barcelona defender Daniel Alves during their Champions League Group G match at Celtic Park.
Image: Celtic beat Barcelona at home in the group phase last season

Manchester City will face holders Bayern Munich in the group phase of the UEFA Champions League, while Arsenal have been drawn alongside last season's runners-up Borussia Dortmund, and Celtic have been handed a mouth-watering group.

Arsenal, who have reached this stage of the competition for 16 successive seasons, also played Dortmund in their group two years ago. On that occasion Dortmund finished bottom of the section but the Germans are now a much tougher proposition and impressed throughout their run to the final last year. Napoli's sporting director Riccardo Bigon told Sky Italia: "In this tournament, there are incredible clubs. We are in a really complicated group, but our aim is to overcome this group." Manchester City director of football Txiki Begiristain insisted after the draw that he was upbeat about his side's chances of advancing from Group D, but admitted CSKA Moscow would be competitive along with favourites Bayern Munich. He said: "They (CSKA) are the champions of the Russia league and are doing well. They have a good team with some good players and it will be difficult, but we have a lot of confidence this season. "We have improved the team, we have a new manager with a lot of experience in the Champions League and we hope we will be stronger in the Champions League." Manchester United secretary John Alexander was also in buoyant mood after David Moyes learned his opponents for his debut campaign in the Champions League group stage. "It's not a bad draw for your first group stage with Manchester United," said Alexander. "It is very interesting with the German and Spanish sides in there. "I guess they would be quite tough opposition from pots three and four, and Shakhtar Donetsk is an interesting trip for anybody at any time of the year. "It's a very exciting group to be in." As a result of the draw, Sky Bet have pushed Arsenal out from 25/1 to 40/1 to win the Champions League, while Celtic are now 1500/1 from 400/1. The other three British clubs have seen their odds cut, with Chelsea 9/1 (from 11/1), Manchester City 10/1 (from 12/1) and Manchester United 11/1 (from 12/1).

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