Champions League: Another awful draw for Man City

Barcelona remain favourites after the group-stage draw
Manchester United have overtaken Manchester City in the Champions League betting following the group-stage draw...
Manchester City will once again be forced to fight their way through the toughest Champions League group after being flung in champions-exclusive quartet with La Liga winners Real Madrid, Eredivisie kings Ajax and Bundesliga title holders Borussia Dortmund.
Despite being second seeds this time compared to in pot three when harshly dealt with last season, the Premier League's finest are again in illustrious company, and it could have been even worse as they only narrowly swerved Paris St-Germain in favour of Ajax.
Those scrambling for a positive slant can be encouraged by Dortmund's failure to clear an easier group in 2011/12. Ajax - who are paired with Real Madrid for the third successive year - also fell at the first hurdle.
However, the severity of the draw has been enough to strip them of their status as third favourites, with Roberto Mancini's men drifting to 11.010/1 and being passed by neighbours Manchester United, who are now 8.88/1 to claim the trophy for the fourth time.
Their backers will be satisfied by their deployment in Group H alongside Sporting Braga, Galatasaray and CFR Cluj, though they will have to ensure that complacency doesn't become an issue having exited a similarly unglamorous group in the previous campaign.
Holders Chelsea's group falls some way between the two Manchester clubs for difficulty, with unbeaten Italian champions Juventus and Ukraine's elite force Shakhtar Donetsk both sides that they would rather have avoided. Debutants FC Nordsjaelland complete the line up for the 15.014/1-rated Blues.
Arsenal will need to outclass at least two of Schalke, almost annual opponents Olympiakos and Olivier Giroud's former team Montpellier to escape Group B and reach the last 16 for the 13th season in a row. The Gunners are 23.022/1 to keep the trophy in the capital.
Elsewhere, Celtic fans can look forward to the ultimate glamour tie on their Champions League return having joined 3.814/5 tournament favourites Barcelona in Group G. Benfica and Spartak Moscow, who employ ex-Bhoy Aiden McGeady, complete a tricky but not impossible group.
As for the other three groups, headline-makers Paris St-Germain 20.019/1 will believe that they got off fairly lightly by being handed Porto, Dynamo Kiev and Dinamo Zagreb in Group A, particularly after at one point standing a 50% chance of joining Real Madrid and Manchester City.
Asset-stripped AC Milan and Malaga will feel progress is far more obtainable after being handed one another, Zenit St Petersburg and Anderlecht in Group C, and though none of the trio are league winners, Bayern Munich, Valencia and Lille won't look forward to colliding in Group F, which is completed by BATE Borisov.
Group A: Porto, Dynamo Kiev, Paris St-Germain, Dinamo Zagreb
Group B: Arsenal, Schalke, Olympiakos, Montpellier
Group C: AC Milan, Zenit St Petersburg, Anderlecht, Malaga
Group D: Real Madrid, Manchester City, Ajax, Borussia Dortmund
Group E: Chelsea, Shakhtar Donetsk, Juventus, Nordsjaelland
Group F: Bayern Munich, Valencia, Lille, BATE Borisov
Group G: Barcelona, Benfica, Spartak Moscow, Celtic
Group H: Manchester United, Braga, Galatasaray, CFR Cluj