Real Madrid gets Liverpool in Champions League

A view of the screens shows the draw for the 2014/2015 UEFA Champions League Cup soccer competition at Monaco's Grimaldi Forum in Monte Carlo, Aug 28, 2014. [Photo/Agencies]

MONACO - European greats Real Madrid and Liverpool will meet again in the group stage of the Champions League after a draw on Thursday that promised many reunions.

Aiming to be the first club to retain world football's most coveted club trophy for 25 years, the road for ten-time winner Madrid leads to five-time champion Liverpool on Oct 22.

"It's going to be a very tough game in their home," said Cristiano Ronaldo, whose Madrid team also faces Basel and newcomer Ludogorets Razgrad of Bulgaria. "I think in general the group is nice. It's going to be good for Real Madrid."

Madrid and Liverpool's past history includes the English team's victories in the 1981 final and a 4-0 rout at Anfield in the Round of 16 six seasons ago.

Star forwards Luis Suarez and Zlatan Ibrahimovic can both return to former club Ajax in a group where their current teams, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, respectively, are favored. APOEL of Cyprus completes the group.

Suarez is next eligible for the Champions League, after serving his four-month ban for biting, on Nov 5 when Barcelona visits Amsterdam. There, he earned the nickname "Cannibal of Ajax" for sinking his teeth into a Dutch league opponent in 2010.

In a draw heavy with England vs. Germany repeat rivalries, Bayern Munich will face Manchester City and Arsenal has been grouped with Borussia Dortmund, each for the third time in four seasons.

Bayern and Man City also played CSKA Moscow last season, and they are now joined by Roma in perhaps the most difficult quartet.

"I think this is the toughest group," Man City director of football Txiki Begiristain said. "We are ready to fight for everything."

The eight four-team groups begin play on Sept 16-17. The top two teams in each group advance to knockout round.

Madrid and Liverpool provide almost half of the 36 European Cup and Champions League titles shared among 10 former winners in the draw.

Liverpool, runner-up to title-winning Man City last season, returns to the Champions League after a four-season absence.