Champions League: Pep in Barcelona return as Arsenal face PSG

Pep Guardiola will return to the Camp Nou after Manchester City and Barcelona were drawn together in the Champions League group stage on Thursday.

Guardiola spent the majority of his playing career with Barcelona and led them to two European titles as manager in 2009 and 2011.

And now in his first season as City boss, he will face off against his former club in Group C, along with Borussia Monchengladbach and Celtic, when the group stage begins next month.

The Spanish champions beat City in the round of 16 in both 2014 and 2015, and the teams completed a transfer of goalkeeper Claudio Bravo to City just hours before the draw.

The draw featured some other blockbuster matchups, as defending champions Real Madrid play Borussia Dortmund in Group F, Paris Saint-Germain face Arsenal in Group A, and Bayern Munich will meet last year’s runners-up Atletico Madrid in Group D.

There were more favourable draws for the other two English clubs.

Debutants Leicester City were drawn with Porto, Club Brugge and FC Copenhagen in Group G, while Tottenham must play CSKA Moscow, Bayer Leverkusen and Monaco in Group E.

The draw for the Champions League group stage is as follows:

Group A: Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal, Basel, Ludogorets

Group B: Benfica, Napoli, Dynamo Kiev, Besiktas

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

Group D: Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid, PSV, Rostov

Group E: CSKA Moscow, Bayer Leverkusen, Tottenham, Monaco

Group F: Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Sporting CP, Legia Warsaw

Group G: Leicester City, Porto, Club Brugge, FC Copenhagen

Group H: Juventus, Sevilla, Lyon, Dinamo Zagreb

The first matchday is the 13/14 September with the final games in the four-team groups taking place on 6/7 December.