?The stage in Monaco as Barcelona are drawn out.[Source:UEFA.com]

Holders FC Barcelona have drawn AC Milan, FC BATE Borisov and FC Viktoria Plzeň, with the group stage draw setting a stiff task for FC Bayern München, who host the final on 19 May 2012.

 

The top seeds in Group H, Josep Guardiola's side are looking to become the first team to win the competition in successive seasons since Milan in 1989 and 1990, while FC Bayern Munich are targeting a place in the final at their home stadium. If they are to reach the knockout phase, they must finish in the top two in Group A, which also features Villarreal CF, Manchester City FC and SSC Napoli.

Barca's domestic rivals Real Madrid, who have won the tournament a record nine times, face competition from French side Lyon, Dutch champions Ajax and Dinamo Zagreb from Croatia.

Last season's finalists Manchester United will compete in Group C along with Benfica, Basel and Otelul Galati.

Arsenal, who qualified via victory over Udinese, will face Marseille, Olympiakos and Borussia Dortmund.

Chelsea were assigned to Group E with Valencia, Bayer Leverkusen and Genk in Thursday's draw in Monaco.

Italian side Inter Milan, who won the competition in 2010, have been presented with a relatively straight-forward group containing Russian club CSKA Moscow, French outfit Lille and Turkish team Trabzonspor, who were entered into the tournament on Wednesday after Fenerbahce were withdrawn in the wake of an ongoing investigation into match fixing.

Group G contains Portuguese side Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk from Ukraine, Russian club Zenit St Petersburg and APOEL Nicosia of Cyprus.

The group stage fixtures will be played on 13/14 September, 27/28 September, 18/19 October, 1/2 November, 22/23 November and 6/7 December. The section winners and runners-up will progress to the round of 16 in the spring. Teams finishing third in each section will transfer to the UEFA Europa League round of 32.

2011/12 UEFA Champions League group stage

Group A

FC Bayern München (GER)

Villarreal CF (ESP)

Manchester City FC (ENG)

SSC Napoli (ITA)

Group B

FC Internazionale Milano (ITA)

PFC CSKA Moskva (RUS)

LOSC Lille Métropole (FRA)

Trabzonspor A? (TUR)

Group C

Manchester United FC (ENG)

SL Benfica (POR)

FC Basel 1893 (SUI)

FC O?elul Gala?i (ROU)

Group D

Real Madrid CF (ESP)

Olympique Lyonnais (FRA)

AFC Ajax (NED)

GNK Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)

Group E

Chelsea FC (ENG)

Valencia CF (ESP)

Bayer 04 Leverkusen (GER)

KRC Genk (BEL)

Group F

Arsenal FC (ENG)

Olympique de Marseille (FRA)

Olympiacos FC (GRE)

Borussia Dortmund (GER)

Group G

FC Porto (POR)

FC Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR)

FC Zenit St Petersburg (RUS)

APOEL FC (CYP)

Group H

FC Barcelona (ESP)

AC Milan (ITA)

FC BATE Borisov (BLR)

FC Viktoria Plzeň (CZE)