Both Arsenal and Manchester United could be said to have got what they wanted in the Champions League. Arsenal's group should make allowances for their relative inexperience in this tournament while United will be part of a little quasi-European super league.
In other words the misgivings of Alex Ferguson about having to compete in the company of two seeded teams, United's lot as a result of finishing runners-up in the Premiership and having to come through a qualifying round this time, have been justified.
While Arsene Wenger's Double-winners face Dynamo Kiev, Panathinaikos and Lens in Group E, United are up against Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Brondby in Group D. Barcelona visit Old Trafford on September 16th and United are in Munich a fortnight later. The closing games in this group promise some tense nights, with Ferguson's team in Barcelona on November 21st and Bayern at Old Trafford on December 9th.
Like United, Bayern have had to come through the qualifiers this season, finishing second to Kaiserslautern in the Bundesliga. Having lost to Borussia Dortmund in last season's quarterfinals they have appointed a former Borussia coach, Ottmar Hitzfeld, to succeed the Italian Giovanni Trapattoni.
New signings include the Iranian and Bosnian forwards, Ali Daei and Hasan Salihamidzic, Thomas Linke, a centre-back from Schalke 04, and Stefan Effenberg, back at Bayern after playing for Fiorentina and Borussia Monchengladbach.
Barcelona, however, should prove the major hurdle to Ferguson's ambitions. This is the second time the clubs have been drawn together in one of the groups and on the last occasion, in 1994-95, United were routed 4-0 at Nou Camp after the Catalan team had drawn 2-2 at Old Trafford.
Then United's tormentors were a Brazilian, Romario, and a Bulgarian, Hristo Stoichkov. Now Barcelona are Dutch-orientated, having added Philip Cocu and Boudewijn Zenden to their squad.
Brondby, Peter Schmeichel's former club, may look the weaker of United's opponents but that would be dangerous thinking. The Danes have a good record in Europe. Three seasons ago they removed Liverpool from the UEFA Cup.
Arsenal's record in Europe since the post-Heysel ban was lifted suggests a need for cautious optimism this time. Under George Graham they won the Cup Winners' Cup in 1994 and they reached the final the following year after Graham's dismissal over financial irregularities. But when they entered the European Cup in 1991 Benfica quickly snuffed out their ambitions.
The last two seasons have seen Arsenal beaten in the first round of the UEFA Cup by Borussia Monchengladbach and PAOK Salonika respectively. Now they are again up against Greek opposition, with Panathinaikos probably as big a threat to Highbury's hopes as Dynamo Kiev.
At least the presence of Lens in Arsenal's group will ease the problems arising from Dennis Bergkamp's refusal to fly and it will be where Arsenal begin their quest on September 16th. "Lens is a good start for us," said Wenger, "and I know their coach, Daniel Leclercq, very well."
