After beating the mighty Barcelona last season and making Rod Stewart cry with emotion, Celtic have another crack at Barcelona in 2013 as well as AC Milan and Ajax in Group H.  No Group is easy in the UEFA Champions League but seeded in Pot 4 means Celtic are going to meet tough opponents and this Group H looks difficult for all four teams. Plenty of Kleenex needed for Rod if Celtic can fire the Scottish passion.

Manchester City seeded in Pot 3 were also handed a tough draw, getting to meet Europe’s best team - Bayern Munich.  City finished the English league in second place but were pushed down the seedings by Chelsea, winners of the UEFA Europa Cup.

The Gunners will kick off away at Marseille, while City travel to Viktoria Plzen. Manchester United and Chelsea, both kick off at home, facing Bayer Leverkusen and Basel respectively. That’s Basel the Giant Killers.

Guide to the Champions League draw

Pot 1: Bayern Munich (holders), Barcelona, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Arsenal, FC Porto, Benfica

Pot 2: Atletico Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk, AC Milan, Schalke 04, Marseille, CSKA Moscow, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus

Pot 3: Zenit St Petersburg, Manchester City, Ajax, Borussia Dortmund, FC Basel, Olympiakos, Galatasaray, Bayer Leverkusen

Pot 4: FC Copenhagen, Napoli, Anderlecht, Celtic, Steaua Bucharest, Viktoria Plzen, Real Sociedad, Austria Vienna

How it works

Seedings are based on UEFA’s coefficient system, based on results in European competition over the past five years. One team from each of the four pots is drawn into each of the eight groups.

Teams from the same country cannot be drawn together at the group stage. The top two teams from each group go through.

Here is the full schedule for the 2013 group stage, so that you can mark your diary and get ready for Europe's biggest club competition.

THE DRAW

Matchday One:

17th September

Manchester United v Bayer Leverkusen

Real Sociedad v Shakhtar Donetsk

Galatasaray v Real Madrid

Copenhagen v Juventus

Benfica v Anderlecht

Olympiakos v Paris Saint-Germain

Bayern Munich v CSKA Moscow

Viktoria Plzen v Manchester City

18th September

Schalke v Steaua Bucharest

Chelsea v Basel

Marseille v Arsenal

Napoli v Borussia Dortmund

Austria Wien v Porto

Atletico Madrid v Zenit

Milan v Celtic

Barcelona v Ajax

Matchday Two:

1st October

Basel v Schalke

Steaua Bucharest v Chelsea

Borussia Dortmund v Marseille

Arsenal v Napoli

Zenit v Austria Wien

Porto v Atletico Madrid

Ajax v Milan

Celtic v Barcelona

2nd October

Shakhtar Donetsk v Manchester United

Bayer Leverkusen v Real Sociedad

Juventus v Galatasaray

Real Madrid v Copenhagen

Paris Saint-Germain v Benfica

Anderlecht v Olympiakos

Manchester City v Bayern Munich

CSKA Moscow v Viktoria Plzen

Matchday Three:

22nd October

Steaua Bucharest v Basel

Schalke v Chelsea

Arsenal v Borussia Dortmund

Marseille v Napoli

Porto v Zenit

Austria Wien v Atletico Madrid

Celtic  v Ajax

Milan v Barcelona

23rd October

Bayer Leverkusen v Shakhtar Donetsk

Manchester United v Real Sociedad

Real Madrid v Juventus

Galatasaray v Copenhagen

Anderlecht v Paris Saint-Germain

Benfica v Olympiakos

CSKA Moscow v Manchester City

Bayern Munich v Viktoria Plzen

Matchday Four:

5th November

Shakhtar Donetsk v Bayer Leverkusen

Real Sociedad v Manchester United

Juventus v Real Madrid

Copenhagen v Galatasaray

Paris Saint-Germain v Anderlecht

Olympiakos v Benfica

Manchester City v CSKA Moscow

Viktoria Plzen v Bayern Munich

6th November

Basel v Steaua Bucharest

Chelsea v Schalke

Borussia Dortmund v Arsenal

Napoli v Marseille

Zenit v Porto

Austria Wien v Atletico Madrid

Ajax v Celtic

Barcelona v Milan

Matchday Five:

26th November

Steaua Bucharest v Schalke

Basel v Chelsea

Arsenal v Marseille

Borussia Dortmund v Napoli

Porto v Austria Wien

Zenit v Atletico Madrid

Celtic v Milan

Ajax v Barcelona

27th November

Bayer Leverkusen v Manchester United

Shakhtar Donetsk v Real Sociedad

Real Madrid v Galatasaray

Juventus v Copenhagen

Anderlecht v Benfica

Paris Saint-Germain v Olympiakos

CSKA Moscow v Bayern Munich

Manchester City v Viktoria Plzen           

Matchday Six:

10th December

Manchester United v Shakhtar Donetsk

Real Sociedad v Bayer Leverkusen

Galatasaray v Juventus

Copenhagen v Real Madrid

Benfica v Paris Saint-Germain

Olympiakos v Anderlecht

Bayern Munich v Manchester City

CSKA Moscow v Viktoria Plzen

11th December

Schalke v Basel

Chelsea v Steaua Bucharest

Marseille, Borussia Dortmund

Napoli v Arsenal

Austria Wien v Zenit

Atletico Madrid v Porto

Milan v Ajax

Barcelona v Celtic