Guardiola returns to Barcelona with City in Champions League

New Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola will return to face his former club, Barcelona, after Man City was paired with the Spanish champions in the Champions League group stages draw Thursday.

Group C: Barcelona, Manchester City, Borussia Monchengladbach, Celtic.

Pot 1: Real Madrid, Barcelona, Leicester City, Bayern Munich, Juventus, Benfica, Paris Saint-German, CSKA Moscow.

While PSG and Arsenal will ultimately be expected to qualify from the group, neither Basel nor Ludoorets will prove easy walkovers for Arsene Wenger’s side.

Pot 3: Dynamo Kiev, Tottenham Hotspur, Lyon, PSV Eindhoven, Sporting Lisbon, Club Brugge, Basel, Borussia Moenchengladbach.

Pochettino’s understrength side were beaten 3-0 on their last visit to the Rhine-Rhur region of Germany for the Europa League round of 16 first leg against Borussia Dortmund last season, but this time avoiding defeat will be key.

The record 11-time European Cup victor, Real Madrid, has never failed to make it beyond the group stage and this season has its sights on becoming the first club to win back-to-back Champions League titles.

Tottenham Hotspur look the strongest of the teams in pot 3, but they could face a hard group as they are as up against one of the six-non English teams from pot 2 as well as a seeded team.

“And Legia, as the first Polish team in 20 years to reach the group stage, are something [to think about]”.

It has been widely reported in the media that organisers UEFA, under pressure from the big clubs to reform the competition, will change the format from 2018-19 to allow four guaranteed places for England, Spain, Italy and Germany.

“It will be a very good experience for everybody, and to play at Wembley as well with the fans behind us”.

Tuchel observed a lack of tension in his side, which he explained was due to the unattractiveness of the group stage.

The first matches will be played on September 13 and 14.

His two European triumphs and three domestic league titles came at a time when the team appeared unbeatable.

The 45-year-old also won LaLiga three times in four years at the Barca helm.

“It would be fantastic to experience a Champions League final in Cardiff”, Bale said.

Juventus and Sevilla face each other in the group stages for the second successive season.