Champions League: Celtic in same group as Juventus and Porto

Celtic have been handed a tough group draw in the Champions League with Juventus, Porto and Rosenborg in Group E with them.

Three-times European champions Liverpool will face 1997 winners Borussia Dortmund in the first group stage of this season’s Champions League.

Anfield boss Gerard Houllier will be relatively pleased with the draw, despite the encounter with the German outfit.

Liverpool will also face Ukraine representatives Dynamo Kiev and Portuguese minnows Boavista in their bid to reach the second group stage of a competition they last won in 1981.

Meanwhile, Premiership champions Manchester United have avoided Italian champions Roma and also Turkish outfit Galatasaray in the draw for the first group stage of the UEFA Champions League during the draw in Monaco.

The English champions were paired in Group G along with Spaniards Deportivo La Coruna, Greek team Olympiakos and Lille from France.

Lille were surprise qualifiers after putting out Italian team Parma and will be relishing their trip to Old Trafford.

The draw could have paired United with Scottish champions Celtic but they avoided an all-British clash and also missed potentially difficult trips to Rome and Istanbul.

Last season saw two Leeds United fans stabbed to death before a match in the Turkish capital against Galatasaray so those responsible for organising United’s security will have breathed a sigh of relief at the draw.

In footballing terms United have come out of the draw better than they could and only the trip to Athens to face Greek outfit Olympiakos will have any sort of intimidating air about it.

Arsenal head Group C where they will face Spanish team Real Mallorca and Greek side Panathinaikos, as well as German outfit Schalke 04.

Champions League draw:

Group A:

Real Madrid

Roma

Lokomotiv Moscow

Anderlecht

Group B:

Liverpool

Borussia Dortmund

Dynamo Kiev

Boavista

Group C:

Arsenal

Mallorca

FC Schalke

Panathanaikos

Group D:

Lazio

Galatasaray

PSV Eindhoven

Nantes

Group E:

Juventus

Porto

Rosenborg

Celtic

Group F:

Barcelona

Olympique Lyonnais

Bayer Leverkusen

Fenerbahce

Group G:

Man United

Deportivo La Coruna

Olympiakos Piraeus

Lille

Group H:

Bayern Munchen

Spartak Moscow

Feyenoord

Sparta Prague