Barcelona beat City at the last-16 stage in 2014 and 2015, while goalkeeper Claudio Bravo has just completed a move from the Spanish champion to Guardiola’s new side.
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Also, Bayern Munich, Guardiola’s immediate-past club, were given a quick chance to avenge last season’s semi-final defeat by Atletico Madrid after they were drawn together.
The biggest losers were the 11th- and 12th-ranked leagues, now Switzerland and the Czech Republic, who will lose their guaranteed places in the group stage.
Both sides’ draw is one of the toughest of the eight groups in the club football flagship competition.
Their causes has been boosted, however, by the fact City will allow Patrick Roberts – who they have loaned to the Glasgow side – to turn out in the competition against his parent club.
The youngster joined Celtic from Manchester City in the winter transfer window on a loan deal until next summer, and the defender feels Roberts did want to face his parent club in the Champions League.
Competition in the Premier League is strong this season, with Man United, Man City, Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal all expected to challenge for the top four places.
The governing body has also released a series of changes which are set to come into Europe’s elite club competition.
UEFA has been without a president since last December when Frenchman Michel Platini was banned for eight years by global soccer body Federation Internationale de Football Association for ethics violations, later reduced to four on appeal by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). “Now we are in the Champions League and we have another wonderful opportunity to show our quality”.
The 11th and 12th-ranked leagues, now Switzerland and Czech Republic, lose their place in the group stage and will have to take part in the qualifiers instead. They will also take on Bayer Leverkusen and Monaco.
It should have an easier time this campaign, as it has been pitted against Benfica, Dynamo Kiev and Besiktas.
A 5-4 aggregate win saw Celtic reach Europe’s top club competition where they will meet Barcelona, Manchester City and Borussia Moenchengladbach.
There is a tougher path through for Bayern Munich, who will meet last season’s runners up Atletico Madrid as well as PSV Eindhoven and Rostov in Group D.
Group F: Real Madrid (Spain), Borussia Dortmund (Germany), Sporting Lisbon (Portugal), Legia Warsaw (Poland).
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Group H: Juventus (Italy), Sevilla (Spain), Lyon (France), Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia).
