Draw for the Uefa Champions League

Live coverage of the draw for the Uefa Champions League group stage, with Manchester United, Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea in the pot

Welcome to The Independent's live coverage of the Champions League draw for the group stage of the tournament.

by Simon Rice (Online Sports... 8/30/2012 3:45:20 PM
From the Premier League, Manchester United, Arsenal, Manchester City and last year's winners, Chelsea, are involved, whilst Celtic represent Scotland.

by Simon Rice (Online Sports... 8/30/2012 3:45:27 PM
The teams are divided into the following pots...

Pot One: Chelsea, Barcelona, Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Arsenal, Porto, AC Milan.

Pot Two: Valencia, Benfica, Shakhtar Donetsk, Zenit St Petersburg, Schalke 04, Manchester City, Braga, Dynamo Kiev

Pot Three: Olympiakos, Ajax Amsterdam, Anderlecht, Juventus, Spartak Moscow, Paris St Germain, Lille, Galatasaray

Pot Four: Celtic, Borussia Dortmund, BATE Borisov, Dinamo Zagreb, FC Cluj, Malaga, Montpellier, FC Nordsjylland.

by Simon Rice (Online Sports... 8/30/2012 3:45:31 PM
All the English teams are in Pot One, the top seeded pot, except Manchester City, who are in Pot Two. The worst case scenario for the English champions would see them placed in a 'Group of Death' with Real Madrid, Juventus and Borussia Dortmund - the champions of Spain, Italy and Germany respectively.

by Simon Rice (Online Sports... 8/30/2012 3:49:06 PM
Manchester City are guaranteed a tough opponent in the shape of either Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Porto or AC Milan from Pot One. Porto would surely be the best outcome for Roberto Mancini's side.

by Simon Rice (Online Sports... 8/30/2012 3:50:48 PM
To fill you in on the details, eight groups of four will be drawn: one from each pot, ranked on Uefa co-efficient. Clubs can not be drawn with anyone from their own country. Group matches start on 18 September.

by Simon Rice (Online Sports... 8/30/2012 3:52:59 PM
For the English teams in Pot One, the teams to avoid are Valencia, Benfica, Shakhtar Donetsk, Ajax, Juventus, Paris St Germain and Borussia Dortmund.

by Simon Rice (Online Sports... 8/30/2012 3:55:03 PM
Perhaps the best outcome (with the utmost respect of course) for the English sides would be Braga (Pot Two), Lille (Pot Three) and FC Nordsjylland (Pot Four).

by Simon Rice (Online Sports... 8/30/2012 3:55:40 PM
The draw is scheduled to start of 5pm, although we can expect some Uefa commissioned video montages before they start pulling names out of hats. We'll have news from the draw as soon as it happens.

by Simon Rice (Online Sports... 8/30/2012 3:58:33 PM
Chelsea are the current holders of the European Cup after they stunned Bayern Munich by winning the final on penalties. Having strengthened this summer, they'll be among the favourites this time around.

by Simon Rice (Online Sports... 8/30/2012 3:59:36 PM
Wembley is hosting this season's final, which will be just two years since it was last held there. Why Uefa decided to return to the home of English football so quickly is a bit of a mystery, but we won't be complaining; It was pretty special back in 2011.

by Simon Rice (Online Sports... 8/30/2012 4:01:46 PM
There's some swirling of balls going on at the draw in Monaco... Let the drawn out process begin.

by Simon Rice (Online Sports... 8/30/2012 4:04:44 PM
Real Madrid are the first name out of the glass bowl. And they will be playing...? We don't know yet, but we do know they will be in Group D. Bayern Munich are in Group F.

by Simon Rice (Online Sports... 8/30/2012 4:06:24 PM
Barcelona, who will be desperate to avenge last year's semi-final defeat to Chelsea, are in Group G. Porto are in Group A.

by Simon Rice (Online Sports... 8/30/2012 4:07:36 PM
AC Milan are in Group C. The English teams must be next out the bowl, but which group will Steve McManaman, who's picking those particular balls, put them in?

by Simon Rice (Online Sports... 8/30/2012 4:09:04 PM
Arsenal are in Group B, Chelsea in Group E and Manchester United in Group H.

by Simon Rice (Online Sports... 8/30/2012 4:10:17 PM
As George Weah is welcomed on stage, this is how the groups are looking so far...

Group A: Porto

Group B: Arsenal

Group C: AC Milan

Group D: Real Madrid

Group E: Chelsea

Group F: Bayern Munich

Group G: Barcelona

Group H: Manchester United

by Simon Rice (Online Sports... 8/30/2012 4:12:02 PM
Okay, it's about to get interesting as the clubs in Pot Two, which includes Manchester City, are drawn.

by Simon Rice (Online Sports... 8/30/2012 4:13:12 PM
Shakhtar Donetsk have been drawn in Group E - alongside holders Chelsea.

by Simon Rice (Online Sports... 8/30/2012 4:14:33 PM
Valencia are in Group F, which contains Bayern Munich.

by Simon Rice (Online Sports... 8/30/2012 4:15:35 PM
Group G is the group of Bs as Barcelona are joined by Benfica.

by Simon Rice (Online Sports... 8/30/2012 4:16:41 PM
Manchester United will be thanking their lucky stars. They've been grouped with Braga, easily the worst team in Pot Two.

by Simon Rice (Online Sports... 8/30/2012 4:17:34 PM
Schalke 04 have been placed in Group B with Arsenal.

by Simon Rice (Online Sports... 8/30/2012 4:18:21 PM
Dynamo Kiev are in Group A with Porto.

by Simon Rice (Online Sports... 8/30/2012 4:18:58 PM
Manchester City have been placed in Group D - that's Real Madrid's group. The champions of England and Spain together. The group of death is on!

by Simon Rice (Online Sports... 8/30/2012 4:19:57 PM
So Zenit St Petersburg are paired with AC Milan.

by Simon Rice (Online Sports... 8/30/2012 4:20:22 PM
After Pot Two has been drawn, we know some of the teams the English sides will be facing. Manchester United have a great draw in the shape of Braga, while Arsenal will be unfazed by Schalke 04.

by Simon Rice (Online Sports... 8/30/2012 4:21:39 PM
It's a tricky one for Chelsea who will play Shakhtar Donetsk, but Manchester City is the real story.

by Simon Rice (Online Sports... 8/30/2012 4:22:05 PM
The Premier League champions will play Real Madrid, the La Liga champions, home and away in the group stage. What games they promise to be.

by Simon Rice (Online Sports... 8/30/2012 4:22:47 PM
Here's The Independent's lowdown on Manchester United's opponents Braga...

Braga: The Portuguese club won't be expecting too much success in the group stage, despite overcoming Udinese on penalties in the play-offs. Former Newcastle midfielder Hugo Viana is one of Braga's main men, but Brazilian striker Rodrigo Lima will provide the goalscoring threat, having netted 20 times in the league last season on the way to a 3rd place finish in the Primeira Liga.

by Simon Rice (Online Sports... 8/30/2012 4:23:30 PM
It's time for Pot Three to be unveiled, which includes Olympiakos, Ajax Amsterdam, Anderlecht, Juventus, Spartak Moscow, Paris St Germain, Lille and Galatasaray.

by Simon Rice (Online Sports... 8/30/2012 4:24:31 PM
Galatasaray are in Group H, Manchester United's group.

by Simon Rice (Online Sports... 8/30/2012 4:25:16 PM
Lille, possibly the worst team in Pot Three, are in Group F.

by Simon Rice (Online Sports... 8/30/2012 4:25:58 PM
Olympiakos are in Arsenal's group - Group B.

by Simon Rice (Online Sports... 8/30/2012 4:26:43 PM
Anderlecht are in Group C.

by Simon Rice (Online Sports... 8/30/2012 4:27:19 PM
Paris St Germain are in Group A - the only other group they could have been in was Manchester City's. That would have been interesting.

by Simon Rice (Online Sports... 8/30/2012 4:28:31 PM
Ajax Amsterdam are in Group D - with Manchester City and Real Madrid. That'll do.

by Simon Rice (Online Sports... 8/30/2012 4:29:10 PM
Juventus are in Group E - with Chelsea and Shakhtar Donetsk. Tough.

by Simon Rice (Online Sports... 8/30/2012 4:30:04 PM
Spartak Moscow go in to Group G then.

by Simon Rice (Online Sports... 8/30/2012 4:31:00 PM
Chelsea's group looking very tough with Italian champions Juventus and Ukraine's pass-masters Shakhtar Donetsk. Those odds on Chelsea retaining their title may have just been made a bit longer.

by Simon Rice (Online Sports... 8/30/2012 4:32:26 PM
Lucky PSG:)

by Begic Haris 8/30/2012 4:33:20 PM
Manchester City's group looking very glamorous - they've been put with Real Madrid and Ajax. #sexyfootball

by Simon Rice (Online Sports... 8/30/2012 4:33:57 PM
Lucky Man U as always

by Chelsea Man 8/30/2012 4:34:05 PM
Pot Four now being drawn...

by Simon Rice (Online Sports... 8/30/2012 4:34:30 PM
Celtic have been drawn in Group G - a trip to Barcelona awaits.

by Simon Rice (Online Sports... 8/30/2012 4:34:56 PM