Uefa Champions League draw:The Champions League draw serves as fresh propaganda for Uefa's new president. Michel Platini could roll the sheet of paper up and rap it on the head of anyone who persists in disputing that the competition has got a little stale. All the usual faces are there and, what is more, many of them are playing one another immediately.
Those who loved last season are in for a treat because parts of it are to be repeated shortly.
Chelsea came through a gruelling quarter-final with Valencia in April when Michael Essien scored in the 90th minute of the second leg at the Mestalla.
The well-equipped Spanish side now have an early opportunity to take another swing at Jose Mourinho's side.
It was also in the quarter-finals that Manchester United won the return leg over AS Roma 7-1 at Old Trafford in April.
The forthcoming rematch might be a fixation for such epic losers, particularly since the coach Luciano Spalletti has otherwise impressed by making the team runners-up in Serie A and winning the Italian Cup. The squad has even been improved with newcomers such as Ludovic Giuly.
Celtic's draw was a perfect exercise in déjà vu. The manager Gordon Strachan can prepare by consulting his memory. His side eliminated Benfica in the group stage last season before being eliminated in the last 16 by AC Milan.
There is not much obscurity about the remaining contenders in Group D, even if it was Martin O'Neill, Strachan's predecessor, who led Celtic against Shakhtar Donetsk in 2004.
The familiarity will not annoy those managers who appreciate the gentle gradient of the path before them.
Despite Schalke's great and passionate support, a Bundesliga side will very likely lack the resources to put Valencia and Chelsea under pressure over the course of Group B. The limitations of the other participants Rosenborg Trondheim, are even more marked.
Similarly the outcome of Roma's bid to recover self-respect against United should not prevent both clubs from progressing at the expense of Sporting Lisbon and Dinamo Kiev.
If Alex Ferguson has any regret about the draw it will lie purely in the inconvenience of a long flight to Ukraine.
The pattern is clear in several of these groups, with the first and second seeds markedly superior to the other clubs. Arsenal could have engrossing games with Sevilla, the Uefa Cup holders who hold a 2-0 lead over AEK Athens that ought to be sufficient when the return leg of the third qualifying round tie is played in Greece on Monday. It was postponed following the death of the Spanish international Antonio Puerta.
Neither Sevilla nor Arsene Wenger's team will shudder at the prospect of Steaua Bucharest or Sparta Prague. Having seen off the Czech champions Slavia Prague 5-0 on aggregate in the qualifying round, Arsenal can be relaxed about meeting the runners-up from the capital.
Were it not for their outstanding start to the season, Liverpool might be marginally more pensive since Porto are the reigning champions of Portugal and there were signs last season of Marseille regaining a trace of their former prowess. Perhaps Rafael Benitez's team might be too harassed in Istanbul when they take on Besiktas to enjoy a sentimenatal return to the the city where the Champions League was won so unforgettably in 2005.
Despite all the respectful remarks that will be made, Liverpool surely cannot discern a genuine danger of calamity. They, after all, have a bigger and better squad than they did when triumphing two years ago.
That is indicative of an ascendancy by the English, Spanish and Italian leagues that troubles Platini, among many others. The economic force of the domination will spring to mind in Group F when United take on Sporting Lisbon.
By proposing a fee that could reach €20.6m, Ferguson made it impossible for the Portuguese club to hold on to the attacker Nani this summer.
In this draw the romance is found with those who are up against the odds yet still harbour hopes. Rangers come into that category. While Barcelona must surely be unassailable, Lyon are in the throes of change after six consecutive titles and Gerard Houllier's successor Alain Perrin has had a vexing start to his tenure. Stuttgart may be Bundesliga holders, but most clubs will be glad Bayern Munich failed to qualify.
The tournament does have two completely different faces. As Rangers square up to a great challenge, the group of elite clubs simply see themselves bedding down in the tournament. Internazionale cannot consider PSV Eindhoven, CSKA Moscow and Fenerbahce without musing over the prospect that they will enter the last 16 without having taken too much out of themselves.
Such divisions are encapsulated in Britain. While Celtic and Rangers know they must give everything they have in the bid to escape their groups, United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal can hope to keep something in reserve.
