Champions League group stage draw as it happened

The group stage draws for UEFA Champions League 2019-20 season were announced on Thursday in Monte-Carlo, Monaco and there are plenty of high-profile encounters for the fans to look forward to. Current title holders Liverpool FC have been placed in the Group E alongside Serie A giants Napoli and Austrian club FC Salzburg. The Jurgen Klopp managed side will be favourites to top the group and make it to the knockout stages once again as they aim to defend their title successfully.

Premier League champions Manchester City have been drawn in a relatively easy group with Shakhtar Donetsk, GNK Dinamo and Atalanta in the Group C. 13-time champions Real Madrid have been handed a good pool in the Group A alongside French champions Paris Saint Germain (PSG), Club Brugge and Galatasaray.

Real suffered an exit from Champions League last season after a defeat at the hands of Ajax in the Round of 16. The Los Blancos have improved their squad significantly this season with the addition of the likes of Eden Hazard, Luka Jovic and Ferland Mendy and will be looking to bounce back strongly. Real's arch-rivals Barcelona have been drawn in a tough group.

The Lionel Messi-led side will be playing against Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan and Slavia Prague in the Group F this year. Messi, who bagged the UEFA Forward of the year award after finishing as the Champions League's top-scorer last season, will be looking to take the La Liga champions all the way this season after their semi-final exit last year which came at the hands of eventual winners Liverpool at the Anfield.

The Group B also has two big names in last year's finalists Tottenham Hotspur and Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich, who will be fancying their chances against the Olympiakos and Red Star Belgrade. Bayern's clash against Spurs will be the one to look forward to in the group. Meanwhile, Europa League winners Chelsea have been placed in the Group H with last year's semifinalists Ajax, Valencia and Lille.

UEFA Champions League 2019-20 group stage draws in full:

GROUP A: PSG, Real Madrid, Club Brugge, Galatasaray

GROUP B: Bayern Munich, Tottenham, Olympiakos, Red Star Belgrade

GROUP C: Man City, Shakhtar Donetsk, Dinamo Zagreb, Atalanta

GROUP D: Juventus, Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Lokomotiv Moscow

GROUP E: Liverpool, Napoli, FC Salzburg, Genk

GROUP F: Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan, Slavia Prague

GROUP G: Zenit St Petersburg, Benfica, Lyon, RB Leipzig

GROUP H: Chelsea, Ajax, Valencia, Lille

When are the UEFA Champions League Group Stage fixtures?

17/18 September: Matchday one

1/2 October: Matchday two

22/23 October: Matchday three

5/6 November: Matchday four

26/27 November: Matchday five

10/11 December: Matchday six