Bayern & Dortmund will face familiar foes in the group stages as Premier League clubs and the Madrid sides gave a sigh of relief…
The Champions League is back, with the draw for the group stages having taken place in Istanbul on Thursday.
This year's draw has once again throw up fascinating storylines, with a clear 'Group of Death', some tasty reunions and plenty of plenty of eye-catching match-ups both on the pitch and on the touchline.
So which clubs, players and coaches will be happy with the draw, and whose task of securing European glory just got a little bit tougher?
GOAL runs through the winners and losers…
GettyWINNER: Premier League clubs
Of the last eight Champions League finalists, five have come from the Premier League, and this year's cohort are once again overwhelming favourites to make it to the knockout stages.
Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham have all avoided the European giants that they could have been paired with, and none can be unhappy with their draw.
Jurgen Klopp's side perhaps have the toughest group, but Liverpool fans can look forward to some amazing atmospheres against Ajax, Napoli and Rangers, the latter returning to the competition for the first time in more than a decade.
Pep Guardiola will expect to make the last-16 for a seventh straight season with City, despite the danger posed by Borussia Dortmund, while Chelsea should be the favourites for Group E despite being second seeds.
AdvertisementGettyLOSER: Juventus
If you're searching for a big club that could fall at the first fence, then look no further than Juventus, who have been handed a fearsome draw.
Champions League success remains a priority for their main Group H rivals Paris Saint-Germain, so they will throw everything at ensuring they finish top.
And while Benfica may no longer have Darwin Nunez's goals, they remain a real danger after knocking out Barcelona in last season's group stages before progressing to the quarter-finals.
It's 27 years since Juve last succeeded in Europe, and with Massimiliano Allegri under pressure already this season, he would have hoped for an easier task in the first round.
GettyWINNER: Robert Lewandowksi
Lewandowski said it was "sad and difficult" to leave Bayern Munich this summer, so he will be delighted to be making a quick return to his old club.
His eight years and 375 appearances for the Bundesliga giants were simply phenomenal, as he scored an incredible 344 goals and won eight league titles.
Lewandowski also helped Bayern to the 2020 Champions League where they humiliated his new team, Barcelona, 8-2 on the way to the final.
At previous club Borussia Dortmund, he lost only once to Bayern in eight attempts in the league although he was beaten 2-1 when the two sides met in the 2013 Champions League final.
He will be out to avoid a repeat in Europe over the next few weeks.
GettyLOSER: Borussia Dortmund
Lewandowski won't be the only big name striker returning to Germany, with Manchester City's Erling Haaland heading back to Dortmund.
The Bundesliga side were powerless to stop him leaving in the summer, with the Premier League champions triggering his £51 million release clause.
Haaland's time in Germany was shorter than Lewandowski's, but he was just as explosive, scoring 86 goals in 89 matches as defences were made to fear the Norwegian hitman.
Now, they will get a dose of their own medicine when they line-up to face City.