As the draw was made for the group stages in Monaco, I couldn't help but feel sorry for the first club to ever qualify for these Champions League stages from Belarus. Bate Borisov have done their country proud after putting out Levski Sofia in the last round to set up a monumental task of getting even a point from Group H. The Belarussian heroes must now face Real Madrid, Juventus and UEFA Cup holders Zenit St. Petersburg - talk about a baptism of fire!

On the home front, a mouthwatering "Battle of Britain" awaits us in the Champions League group stages as the English and Scottish Champions face eachother in group E. Celtic have beaten Man Utd in recent years and could upset the apple cart again, but as reigning European Champions, United will be desperate to prove they are worthy winners again.

The British pair will also face Spaniards Villarreal and Danish side Aalborg in Group E. Chelsea were drawn with Roma, Bordeaux and Romanian minnows CFR Cluj, while Liverpool will meet PSV, Marseille and Atletico Madrid in a tough group. Arsenal will play Porto, Fenerbahce and Dynamo Kiev in Group G.

The four English sides were guaranteed to be kept apart after being made top seeds, but Celtic could have faced any one of them after being drawn in the third pot of clubs. They will get their chance to test themselves against the English champions in two mouthwatering clashes.


The fixtures will pit Celtic manager Gordon Strachan against his one-time boss Sir Alex Ferguson. The pair met in the Champions League group stages in 2006/07, with Celtic winning 1-0 at home but Manchester United edging the return fixture 3-2 at Old Trafford.

"It was a great event the last time we played," said United chief executive David Gill. "Both clubs have passionate fans and we're looking forward to it. Last time they won (at Celtic) to qualify and we went down to the last game to ensure we went through. The players and the fans will already be looking to that fixture on the calendar."

Celtic chairman John Reid added: "It's fabulous for Celtic fans. There are no easy groups, there are no free passes in Europe. We're just proud to be Scotland's representative in there and to be playing the European champions." (BBC)

So which of the British clubs are going to qualify and which are going to struggle? Who has the hardest group and who has the easiest? Who's going to win the "Battle of Britain"?