Champions League fixtures: PSV Eindhoven host Manchester United on opening day

Barcelona captain Andres Iniesta returned the Champions League trophy as the competition restarts

One of the things that sets the UEFA Champions League apart from the rest is its tendency to throw up clashes that will keep you at the edge of your seat. Sometimes they’re the ones between the minnows taking part in the competition but more often the focus is firmly on the big boys and this time the UCL group stage draw has not disappointed.

The draw has pitted 2014 Champions League winners Real Madrid against the nouveau-riche Paris Saint-Germain in Group A While Group D holds the most peril boasting Italian champions Juventus, 2014 English Premier League winners Manchester City and Europa League winners Sevilla.

Granted that most “big clubs” will be expected to make it past the group stages at the very least but not without playing out some delicious looking ties along the way. UEFA has released the dates and fixtures for the whole of the group stage of the competition.

The opening two days will be on 15/16 September. Group A to group D will play on the first day and Group E to Group H will play on the 16 September.

The group stage will conclude on December 9 when the last round of games will be played and the Round of 16 draw will then take place on December 14, 2015 to determine which of the sixteen teams that qualify will face each other in the next phase.

The must-watch fixtures

15 September: Manchester City v Juventus (Reverse fixture on 25 November)

15 September: PSV Eindhoven v Manchester United (Reverse fixture on 25 November)

16 September: Roma v Barcelona (Reverse fixture on 24 November)

29 September: Porto v Chelsea (Reverse fixture on 9 December)

29 September: Barcelona v Bayer Leverkusen (Reverse fixture on 9 December)

30 September: Juventus v Sevilla (Reverse fixture on 8 December)

30 September: Manchester United v VfL Wolfsburg (Reverse fixture on 8 December)

20 October: Arsenal v Bayern Munchen (Reverse fixture on 4 November)

20 October: Bayer Leverkusen v Roma (Reverse fixture on 4 November)

21 October: Paris Saint-Germain v Real Madrid (Reverse fixture on 3 November)

21 October: Juventus v Borussia Monchengladbach (Reversefixture on 3 November)

The full fixture list is given below:

15 September:

Group A: Paris Saint-Germain v Malmo, Real Madrid v Shakhtar DonetskGroup B: Wolfsburg v CSKA Moskva, PSV Eindhoven v Manchester UnitedGroup C: Galatasaray v Atletico Madrid, Benfica v AstanaGroup D: Manchester City v Juventus, Sevilla v Borussia Monchengladbach

16 September:

Group E: Bayer Leverkusen v BATE Borisov, Roma v BarcelonaGroup F: Dinamo Zagreb v Arsenal, Olympiacos v Bayern MunchenGroup G: Dynamo Kyiv v FC Porto, Chelsea v Maccabi Tel-AvivGroup H: Valencia v Zenit, Gent v Olympique Lyonnais

29 September:

Group E: Barcelona v Bayer Leverkusen, BATE Borisov v RomaGroup F: Bayern Munchen v Dinamo Zagreb, Arsenal v Olympiacos Group G: Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC v Dynamo Kyiv, FC Porto v ChelseaGroup H: Olympique Lyonnais v Valencia CF, Zenit v Gent

30 September:

Group A: Shakhtar Donetsk v Paris Saint-Germain, Malmo v Real MadridGroup B: Manchester United v VfL Wolfsburg, CSKA Moskva v PSV Eindhoven Group C: FC Astana v Galatasaray, Atlético de Madrid v Benfica Group D: Borussia Monchengladbach v Manchester City, Juventus v Sevilla

20 October:

Group E: BATE Borisov v Barcelona, Bayer Leverkusen v RomaGroup F: Arsenal v Bayern Munchen, Dinamo Zagreb v Olympiacos Group G: FC Porto v Maccabi Tel-Aviv, Dynamo Kyiv v Chelsea Group H: Zenit v Olympique Lyonnais Valencia CF v Gent

21 October:

Group A: Malmo v Shakhtar Donetsk, Paris Saint-Germain v Real Madrid Group B: CSKA Moskva v Manchester United, VfL Wolfsburg v PSV EindhovenGroup C: Atlético de Madrid v FC Astana, Galatasaray v Benfica Group D: Juventus v Borussia Monchengladbach, Manchester City v Sevilla

3 November:

Group A: Shakhtar Donetsk v Malmo, Real Madrid v Paris Saint-Germain Group B: Manchester United v CSKA Moskva, PSV Eindhoven v VfL Wolfsburg Group C: FC Astana v Atlético de Madrid, Benfica v Galatasaray Group D: Borussia Mönchengladbach v Juventus, Sevilla v Manchester City

4 November:

Group E: Barcelona v BATE Borisov, Roma - Bayer Leverkusen Group F: Bayern Munchen v Arsenal, Olympiacos v Dinamo ZagrebGroup G: Maccabi Tel-Aviv v FC Porto, Chelsea v Dynamo Kyiv Group H: Olympique Lyonnais v Zenit, Gent v Valencia

24 November:

Group E: BATE Borisov v Bayer Leverkusen, Barcelona v Roma Group F: Arsenal v Dinamo Zagreb, Bayern München v OlympiacosGroup G: FC Porto v Dynamo Kyiv, Maccabi Tel-Aviv v Chelsea Group H: Zenit v Valencia, Olympique Lyonnais v Gent

25 November:

Group A: Malmo v Paris Saint-Germain, Shakhtar Donetsk v Real Madrid Group B: CSKA Moskva v Wolfsburg, Manchester United v PSV Eindhoven Group C: Atlético de Madrid v Galatasaray, FC Astana v Benfica Group D: Juventus v Manchester City, Borussia Mönchengladbach v Sevilla

8 December:

Group A: Paris Saint-Germain v Shakhtar Donetsk, Real Madrid v MalmoGroup B: Wolfsburg - Manchester United, PSV Eindhoven v CSKA Moskva Group C: Galatasaray v FC Astana, Benfica v Atlético de Madrid Group D: Manchester City v Borussia Mönchengladbach, Sevilla v Juventus

9 December:

Group E: Bayer Leverkusen v Barcelona, Roma v BATE Borisov Group F: Dinamo Zagreb v FC Bayern München, Olympiacos v ArsenalGroup G: Dynamo Kyiv v Maccabi Tel-Aviv, Chelsea v FC Porto Group H: Valencia v Olympique Lyonnais, Gent v Zenit