MONTE CARLO: Newcastle, back in the Champions League after 20 years, have been drawn in the this season’s ‘group of death’, facing Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan.

Returning to the competition for the first time since 2002-03, Eddie Howe’s side have a difficult task having been drawn with three European heavyweights.

Newcastle’s sporting director Dan Ashworth said it was an “amazing” draw and added: “It’s been a 20-year wait to play against the top teams in Europe and we certainly got that in our group, didn’t we?

“It’s very exciting, brilliant for the fans, brilliant for the staff, it’s what the Champions League is all about.”

Harry Kane’s new club Bayern Munich will clash with Manchester United in Group A, where Erik ten Hag’s men will also be up against Kobenhavbn and Galatasaray.

Tournament favourites Manchester City will face RB Leipzig for the third successive season, with Red Star [Crvena Zvezda] and Young Boys rounding out the easily winnable group for the current holders.

Arsenal, back in the Champions League for the first time since 2016-17, Arsenal were drawn in a relatively favourable group. The Gunners will face Sevilla, PSV Eindhoven and RC Lens in Group B

Scottish champions Celtic were also placed in a group with Dutch and Spanish opposition, placed alongside Feyenoord, Atletico Madrid, as well as Italian side Lazio.

The first round of UCL group games will be played on September 19 and 20.

The groups

Group A
Bayern Munich
Manchester United
FC Copenhagen
Galatasaray
Group B
Sevilla
Arsenal
PSV Eindhoven
RC Lens
Group C
Napoli
Real Madrid
SC Braga
Union Berlin
Group D
Benfica
Inter
FC Salzburg
Real Sociedad
Group E
Feyenoord
Atletico Madrid
Lazio
Celtic
Group F
Paris Saint-Germain
Borussia Dortmund
AC Milan
Newcastle
Group G
Manchester City
RB Leipzig
Crvena Zvezda
BSC Young Boys
Group H
Barcelona
FC Porto
Shakhtar Donetsk
Royal Antwerp

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