Manchester United and European champions Bayern Munich, who met in the memorable 1999 European Cup final and last season's quarter-finals, were drawn in the same second phase Champions League group on Friday.
Bayern avenged their heartbreaking 2-1 defeat to United in 1999 by knocking them out of the competition with home and away wins last season before going on to be crowned champions.
Nantes and Boavista make up the group A foursome - the only one to comprise four current national champions.
Bayern's Thorsten Fink, an 80th-minute substitute in the 1999 final when United scored twice in injury time to win the Cup, said: "I'm glad that we're playing Manchester United again. We Germans have something to put right against England."
Bayern director Karl-Heinz Rummenigge added: "I think we should be able to reach the quarter-finals."
Manchester United secretary Ken Merrett said: "It is special with Bayern, it is always a bit different. We have played them a number of times, they have had their successes and we have had ours. They're always close games and these games will be no exception."
Liverpool, who knocked out Barcelona in the semifinals of the UEFA Cup last season before going on to lift that trophy, will face the Catalans again in group B.
Galatasaray, the UEFA Cup winners in 2000 and Roma, who Liverpool beat in the 1984 European Cup final and in the UEFA Cup fourth round last season, complete the quartet which is perhaps the toughest of the four groups.
Roma coach Fabio Capello told the club's television station Roma Channel: "Group B looks very demanding. All the teams involved will be difficult opponents. There are no favourites and it will be important to play point for point.
"I think it will be a balanced group with very difficult matches also at the psychological level because we will be playing at stadiums where there is a unique tension, it is probably the toughest group from that point of view".
"Barcelona are a team with a stadium for 115,000 fans, the Nou Camp is a temple of world football and naturally they have very strong players.
"But Roma are not afraid. We have a good unit and we have refound the right mentality. It will be difficult but I have faith. At this moment we can take them all on".
Liverpool director Rick Parry said: "We know Barcelona and Roma only too well from last year and we have some great memories.
"Galatasaray have a great record in Europe. We respect the other three teams but we don't fear them - we're looking forward to it, but there's no doubt this is a very tough group."
Real Madrid, European champions in 1998 and 2000, will face old rivals Porto, Panathinaikos and Sparta Prague in group C while Juventus, Deportivo Coruna, Arsenal and Bayer Leverkusen comprise group D.
Juventus last met Arsenal in 1980 when the London club beat them in the European Cup Winners Cup semifinals, but Arsenal played Deportivo in the UEFA Cup fourth round in 2000, winning 5-1 at home and losing 2-1 away.
Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein said: "It is nice to be in the last 16 for the second season running, it is a tough group but you have to play against the top teams in the Champions League. It is a good test for us."
Group A- Bayern Munich (Germany), Nantes (France), Manchester United (England), Boavista (Portugal)
Group B- Barcelona (Spain), Liverpool (England), Galatasaray (Turkey), AS Roma (Italy)
Group C- Real Madrid (Spain), Panathinaikos (Greece), Porto (Portugal), Sparta Prague (Czech Republic)
Group D- Juventus (Italy), Deportivo Coruna (Spain), Arsenal (England), Bayer Leverkusen (Germany)
The second group stage matches will be played on the following dates:
20-21 November, 4-5 December, 19-20 February, 26-27 February, 12-13 March and 19-20 March