( CNN ) -- Nine-time winners Real Madrid were handed a monumental task as the draw for the group stages of this season 's Champions League was made in Monaco on Thursday . Jose Mourinho 's new charges were paired with seven-time winners AC Milan , four-time champions Ajax Amsterdam and French side Auxerre in Group G. Real have failed to progress beyond the last 16 knock out stages for the past six seasons , but will need to be at their best to reach the second round with only the top two from each of the eight groups going through . Title holders Inter Milan , coached to their triple triumph by Mourinho before he departed for the Bernabeu , have also been handed a difficult group . English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur , Bundesliga Werder Bremen and Dutch champions FC Twente will be their opponents in Group A. Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri said the two Milan clubs had been given very tough tests . `` Our group and Inter 's are definitely the most difficult , '' he told AFP . `` It 's a group of death , but we 'll do what we need to . '' The draw has also thrown up another `` Battle of Britain '' with three-time champions Manchester United in Group C alongside Scottish champions Rangers . La Liga side Valencia and Champions League new boys Bursaspor of Turkey complete the group . The 2009 winners Barcelona , one of eight top seeds , have been installed as the early favorites after drawing Greek side Panathinaikos , FC Copenhagen of Denmark and Russian league winners Rubin Kazan in Group D. The opening set of group games will take place on September 14 and 15 , with the final scheduled for England 's famous Wembley stadium on May 28 , 2011 . Full draw : . Group A. Inter Milan ( ITA ) Werder Bremen ( GER ) Tottenham ( ENG ) Twente ( NED ) Group B. Lyon ( FRA ) Benfica ( POR ) Schalke ( GER ) Hapoel Tel-Aviv ( ISR ) Group C. Man Utd ( ENG ) Valencia ( ESP ) Rangers ( SCO ) Bursaspor ( TUR ) Group D. Barcelona ( ESP ) Panathinaikos ( GRE ) Copenhagen ( DEN ) Rubin Kazan ( RUS ) Group E. Bayern Munich ( GER ) Roma ( ITA ) Basel ( SUI ) CFR Cluj ( ROM ) Group F. Chelsea ( ENG ) Marseille ( FRA ) Spartak Moscow ( RUS ) Zilina ( SVK ) Group G. AC Milan ( ITA ) Real Madrid ( ESP ) Ajax ( NED ) Auxerre ( FRA ) Group H. Arsenal ( ENG ) Shakhtar Donetsk ( UKR ) Sporting Braga ( POR ) Partizan Belgrade ( SRB )
Real Madrid and AC Milan in same Group G in Champions League draw . - Juventus will play at home against Atletico Madrid. Champions Inter Milan to open against Tottenham , Werder Bremen and FC Twente . Top two from each of eight groups go through to last 16 knockout stage .