Real Madrid gets Liverpool in Champions League

Blue light shines on the Champions league soccer trophy during the draw ceremony for the 2014/2015 Champions League soccer competition at Monaco's Grimaldi Forum in Monte Carlo, Aug 28, 2014. [Photo/Agencies]

"That was last season's hard work, what we were working toward," manager Brendan Rodgers said, "getting Liverpool back into a competition where we are synonymous."

Liverpool kicks off on Sept 16 hosting Ludogorets which debuted in European competitions just two years ago.

The Bulgarian team had perhaps the most memorable qualifying route: It got a 90th-minute equalizer in a playoff Wednesday against Steaua Bucharest before defender Cosmin Moti had to go in goal in extra time and saved two penalties in the decisive shootout.

Arsenal and Dortmund, both beaten finalists in recent years, will also face Galatasaray and Anderlecht.

"We surely know Arsenal the best," said Dortmund coach Juergen Klopp, whose team advanced with the top-seeded English side a year ago.

Chelsea and Schalke also advanced together last season and now will play Sporting Lisbon and Maribor.

Atletico Madrid, last season's runner-up, was grouped with Juventus, Olympiakos and Malmo, the 1979 runner-up as a semi-professional club.

"It's a likable group. Of course there are hidden dangers," said Juventus chief executive Giuseppe Marotta, noting a home opener against Malmo, a clear league leader deep into the Swedish season.

In perhaps the toughest group to predict, Benfica is with Zenit St. Petersburg, Bayer Leverkusen and Monaco. Despite having Colombia forward Radamel Falcao, Monaco's absence from UEFA competitions since 2006 left it among the lowest-ranked teams.

The longest travel times face the group of Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk, Athletic Bilbao and BATE Borisov of Belarus.

By UEFA order for security reasons, Shakhtar will play home matches in Lviv in western Ukraine. Its home stadium in eastern Ukraine which borders Russia, was damaged this week in the conflict there.

The Champions League's commercial strength allows UEFA to share nearly 1 billion euros ($1.34 billion) in prize money among the 32 teams.

UEFA pays a basic 8.6 million euros ($11.5 million) fee for entering the group, plus 1 million euros ($1.34 million) per win and 500,000 euros ($670,000) per draw. Teams also get a share of television rights money.

The final will be played at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin on June 6.

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