The UEFA Champions League draw was completed on Thursday in Monaco, and holder Real Madrid FC will begin their title defense in Group B that also includes Liverpool, FC Basel 1893 and Ludogorets Razgrad.

Real Madrid will be the favorite to top their group, while Liverpool, who will be competing in the Champions League for the first time since 2009-10 season, are also tipped to advance to the knockout stages.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers, who finished second in the 2013-14 English Premier League season, said that they are thrilled to return to the competition, and their excitement went up a notch after being drawn together with the defending champions.

"To be back in it again, no matter who we were going to play, it was always going to be exciting," Rodgers said on Thursday via the Liverpool FC website. "But to have Real Madrid in your group, the champions last season, is going to be special. I'm already thinking of Anfield on that night."

Atletico Madrid, who lost to Real Madrid in last year's final, will kick off their campaign in Group A against Juventus, Olympiakos and Malmo, while Manchester City, the defending English Premier League champions, were drawn in Group E together with Bayern Munich, CSKA Moscow and AS Roma.

FC Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain will collide in Group F, which also includes Ajax and APOEL, while Borussia Dortmund will compete against Arsenal, Galatasaray and Anderlecht in Group D.

"In Group D, we'll be meeting good old friends and a new faces for us," said Borussia Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp, whose team finished runners-up in 2013. "I have never played at Anderlecht or Istanbul. We did not wish for any opponents ahead of the draw, and we'll take it as it comes. We certainly know Arsenal is the best of those three."

Below is the result of Thursday's draw in Monaco and this year's Champions League match dates:

Group A - Atletico Madrid, Olympiakos, Juventus, Malmo

Group B - Real Madrid, Liverpool, Basel, Ludogorets

Group C - Benfica, Bayer Leverkusen, Zenit St. Petersburg, Monaco

Group D - Arsenal, Galatasaray, Borussia Dortmund, Anderlecht

Group E - Bayern Munich, Manchester City, CSKA Moscow, AS Roma

Group F - FC Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Ajax, APOEL

Group G - Chelsea, Schalke, Sporting, Maribor

Group H - Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk, Atletico Bilbao, BATE Borisov

Matchday 1 - Sept. 16 and 17

Matchday 2 - Sept. 30 and Oct. 1

Matchday 3 - Oct. 21 and 22

Matchday 4 - Nov. 4 and 5

Matchday 5 - Nov. 25 and 26

Matchday 6 - Dec. 9 and 10

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