Reigning champions Barcelona and returning giants Manchester United were dealt favourable hands in the Champions League draw in Monaco on Thursday 

Barca’s quest to become the first team to retain the European crown began smoothly as Lionel Messi and company were paired with Bayer Leverkusen, Roma and BATE Borisov in Group E.

United grace the competition after a year’s absence and coach Louis van Gaal will be more than happy with the three-time winners’ Group B sparring partners PSV Eindhoven, CSKA Moscow and Wolfsburg.

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho returns to FC Porto, the club he guided to the continental crown in 2004, with this duo joined by Dynamo Kiev and Maccabi Tel-Aviv in Group G.

There will have been groans emanating from north London with Arsenal pitted against five-time titleholders Bayern Munich – Olympiakos and Dinamo Zagreb completing Group F.

Bayern and Arsenal have met twice in the last-16 in 2012/2013 and 2013/2014 with the German giants winning on both occasions.

Big-spending Paris Saint-Germain and their Qatari backers are desperate to add a European crown to their trophy sideboard.

But the quarter-finalists in the last three seasons have a tricky time ahead after being lumped in with ten-time continental kings Real Madrid.

Also in the Group A mix are Malmo – the birthplace of PSG talisman Zlatan Ibrahimovic and the side who sent Celtic crashing out of the play-offs on Tuesday – and Shakhtar Donetsk.

Group C sees debutants Astana, one of three first-timers in the competition, rubbing shoulders with Atletico Madrid, Galatasaray and two-time winners Benfica.

Another newcomer, Borussia Moenchengladbach, are set for a Champions League baptism of fire against last season’s finalists Juventus, English Premier League champions Manchester City, and Europa League titleholders Sevilla in Group D.

Gent, the third team to be entering uncharted waters, can look forward to trips to Zenit St Petersburg, Valencia and Lyon in Group H.

The first round gets underway on September 15 and concludes next May at Milan’s San Siro which last held the final in 2001, with Bayern Munich beating Valencia on penalties.

Draw for the UEFA Champions League group stage:

Group A

Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)

Real Madrid (ESP)

Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR)

Malmo (SWE)

Group B

PSV Eindhoven (NED)

Manchester United (ENG)

CSKA Moscow (RUS)

Wolfsburg (GER)

Group C

Benfica (POR)

Atletico Madrid (ESP)

Galatasaray (TUR)

Astana (KAZ)

Group D

Juventus (ITA)

Manchester City (ENG)

Sevilla (ESP)

Borussia Moenchengladbach (GER)

Group E

Barcelona (ESP)

Bayer Leverkusen (GER)

Roma (ITA)

BATE Borisov (BLR)

Group F

Bayern Munich (GER)

Arsenal (ENG)

Olympiakos (GRE)

Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)

Group G

Chelsea (ENG)

Porto (POR)

Dynamo Kiev (UKR)

Maccabi Tel-Aviv (ISR)

Group H

Zenit St. Petersburg (RUS)

Valencia (ESP)

Lyon (FRA)

Gent (BEL)

The group stages get underway on Sep 15-16 with the final to be played on May 28, 2016 at the San Siro in Milan, Italy.

Source AFP

Everton were made to work for their money in a cracking 4-3 win over Barnsley after extra time in the Capital One Cup on Wednesday.

Everton should have been a goal up, and ended up ruing the missed chance, as early as the eight minute when Adam Davies could only palm Kevin Mirallas’ speculative long range effort in the path of Aiden McGeady, but the Irish winger couldn’t capitalise.
Barnsley grabbed the lead against the run of play in the 21st minute when Phil Jagielka failed to clear an ordinary ball floated into the Everton box.
The ball dropped kindly for Sam Winnall and the striker spun cleverly and slotted home in the bottom corner.
Things went from bad to worse for Everton in the 23rd minute when Mirallas had a penalty shout turned down and found themselves two down less than four minutes later.
Another tame cross in the Toffees danger area was headed back into the six-yard box and Marley Watkins fairly won the ball from goalkeeper Joel Robles and steered the ball home from close range to give the host a 2-0 advantage.
Everton fought back hard and were rewarded shortly after half-time as the ball dropped for Mirallas in the Barnsley box and the Belgian acrobatically finished in the top corner to make the score 2-1.
The Toffees were back on level terms in the 58th minute as Gerard Deulofeu went on a mazy run down the right flank before chipping a cross in for Romelu Lukaku.
The striker missed the ball, but thankfully Steven Naismith was on hand to head home the equaliser.
Less than a minute later some superb play down the right by Barnsley found Daniel Crowley in the box and the striker, on loan from Arsenal, slid the ball home expertly.
Everton nearly went level in the 61st minute but Reece Wabara was on hand to clear the ball off the line.
The visitors were level in the 77th minute however, as Lukaku found some space in the box and met a Deulofeu cross to turn it into the corner to force the game into extra time.
Smelling blood, Everton went for the jugular, creating chance after chance before finding the decisive break through in the fourth minute of extra time.
Deulofeu, once again, had a hand in the goal as the Spanish winger broke down the right before putting in a good cross for Lukaku and Marc Roberts could only divert the ball into his own net.
The craziness was not over, however, Conor Hourihane was unlucky to hit the crossbar with a fine effort from 30 yards out and he forced a sharp save out of Joel five minutes later.
The Toffees weathered the storm and ended the tie in the 114th minute when Ross Barkley broke up-field and fed the ball to Lukaku, who fired home to make the score 5-3 in an incredible game.

Source Foxsports

Tottenham are believed to be readying a move for Leverkusen forward Son Heung-min after failing to land West Brom striker Saido Berahino.

Spurs have had two bids for Berahino knocked back by the Baggies, and as a result they are set to switch their focus to South Korea international Son.
The deal for the 23-year-old is thought to be worth in the region of £18 to £22million.
Son joined Leverkusen from Hamburger SV in 2013 and has scored 21 goals in 62 Bundesliga appearances.
The forward was not part of Leverkusen’s matchday squad for Wednesday’s Champions League qualifying second leg tie against Lazio.

Source Foxsports

Barcelona forward Pedro scored the game-winning goal in the dying minutes of extra time to see his side crowned UEFA Super Cup champions courtesy of a 5-4 win over Sevilla.

The 28-year-old, who has been strongly linked with a move to Manchester United, put the speculation regarding his future to one side to score the decisive goal in extra time after the scores had been level at 4-4 after 90 minutes.
Sevilla took the lead just three minutes into the match in Tbilisi, Georgia, when midfielder Ever Banega curled a free-kick into the left-hand corner to leave Barca stunned.
The Champions League winners had to wait just four minutes to nab equaliser, which arrived courtesy of a Lional Messi free-kick, with the Argentine’s left-footed effort curling into the top corner and out of the reach of the outstretched hand of Beto.
In what was becoming something of an exhibition of quality free-kicks, Messi made it 2-1 to Barcelona in 16th minute when he beat Beto once again with a sizzling free-kick from 30 yards out.
Barcelona extended their lead to 3-1 shortly before the half-time break when Suarez latched on the rebound after his shot was saved by Beto and squared to Rafinha, who swooped in and poked the ball home under heavy pressure.
Seven minutes after the restart, Barcelona scored again, with Suarez again involved. The Uruguayan slotted the ball into the bottom corner after being brilliantly set up by Sergio Busquets.
Sevilla responded just five minutes later and reduced the deficit when Jose Antonio Reyes latched on to Vitolo’s cross and fired it past Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
Reyes’ goal marked the start of Sevilla’s sparkling comeback as Kevin Gameiro converted a penalty in the 72nd minute to make it 4-3 after Jeremy Mathieu brought down Vitolo.
Sevilla found their equaliser nine minutes later when midfielder Yevhen Konoplyanka was on hand at the back corner to tap in Ciro Immobile’s low squared ball that had beaten the Barcelona defence and that outstretched hand of Ter Stegen.
With neither team able to find a winner at the end of 90 minutes, the game headed into extra time.
Barcelona broke the deadlock 25 minutes into extra time when Messi’s free-kick was deflected back off the wall. The Argentine fired off another shot from outside the box, but it was brilliantly saved by Beto. However, the Sevilla keeper could only push the ball in the direction of Pedro, who reacted fastest and smashed the ball into the roof of the goal to seal the victory.

Source Foxsports