Monaco, Sept 5: Premier League champions Manchester City are placed in 'Group of Death', Group D along with Spanish La Liga champions Real Madrid, Dutch champions Ajax and Germany Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund in the group stages of the 2012 UEFA Champions League.

While three-time UEFA Champions League champions Manchester United were placed in a comparatively much easier group than their noisy neighbours. The Red Devils are in Group H which include Portuguese side Braga, Turkey club Galatasaray and CRF Cluj from Romania.

Defending champions Chelsea will play against Italy Serie A champions Juventus along side Shakhtar Donetsk of Ukraine and Nordsjaelland of Denmark in Group E.

Group C will see Arsenal battle it out with France Ligue 1 champions Montpellier HSC, FC Schalke 04 for Germany and Olympiacos from Greece.

Spanish giants FC Barcelona are placed in Group G along with Scottish champions Celtic, Portugal side Benfica and Russian club Spartak Moscow.

Opening round of matches to be played on Sept 18/19.

Take a look at the other Groups :

Group A

FC Porto (POR), Dynamo Kiev (UKR), Paris Saint-Germain (FRA), Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)

Group B

Arsenal (ENG), Schalke 04 (GER), Olympiacos (GRE), Montpellier (FRA)

Group C

AC Milan (ITA), Zenit Saint Petersburg (RUS), Anderlecht (BEL), Malaga (ESP)

Group D

Real Madrid (ESP), Manchester City (ENG), Ajax (NED), Borussia Dortmund (GER)

Group E

Chelsea (ENG), Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR), Juventus (ITA), Nordsjaelland (DEN)

Group F

Bayern Munich (GER), Valencia (ESP), Lille (FRA), BATE Borisov (BLR)

Group G

Barcelona (ESP), Benfica (POR), Spartak Moscow (RUS), Celtic (SCO)

Group H

Manchester United (ENG), SC Braga (POR), Galatasaray (TUR), CFR-Cluj (ROM)

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