CKSA Moscow will have the opportunity to avenge a 2010 quarterfinal defeat to Inter Milan in this year’s Champions League as Thursday’s draw placed them in the same group for this season’s competition.
CSKA also contend with Lille and Turkish side Trabzonspor, who this week replaced Fenerbahce, disqualified by UEFA over match-fixing suspicions, in Group B.
Inter beat CSKA 2-0 on aggregate in their April 2010 quarterfinal, after which Jose Mourinho’s side went all the way and topped Bayern Munich in the final.
Russia’s other representatives, Zenit St. Petersburg, were drawn in Group G along with Portuguese champions Porto and Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk, who last season were thrashed in the quarterfinals 6-1 on aggregate by eventual winners Barcelona. APOEL of Cyprus complete Zenit’s group.
Zenit coach Luciano Spalletti will look to centerback Bruno Alves for clues on Porto’s tactics; the Portuguese international made 119 appearances for them over 10 years.
In other groups: Defending champions Barcelona face Milan, Belarus’ BATE and newcomers Plzen; Manchester United play Benfica, Basel and Romanians Otelul; Real Madrid are in with Lyon, who beat Spartak Moscow in the playoffs, Ajax and Dinamo Zagreb; Chelsea have Valencia, Bayer Leverkusen and Belgian club Genk; and Arsenal face Marseille, Olympiacos and Borussia Dortmund; and Manchester City are up against Bayern Munich, Villarreal and Napoli.