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Group C analysis: Barcelona, Man. City, Gladbach, Celtic

Barcelona face another reunion with Josep Guardiola, in his first UEFA Champions League as City manager, with Mönchengladbach and Celtic unlikely to be overawed in Group C.

Group C analysis: Barcelona, Man. City, Gladbach, Celtic
Group C analysis: Barcelona, Man. City, Gladbach, Celtic ©UEFA.com

Who's in Group C?
Barcelona (ESP)

• UEFA coefficient ranking: 3
• How they qualified: first in Spanish Liga
• Previous group stage campaigns: 20 (last appearance: 2015/16)
• Last season: UEFA Champions League quarter-finals
• Best European Cup performance: winners (1991/922005/062008/092010/112014/15)

Manchester City (ENG)
• UEFA coefficient ranking: 11
• How they qualified: fourth in Premier League, play-off winners
• Previous group stage campaigns: 5 (last appearance: 2015/16)
• Last season: UEFA Champions League semi-finals
• Best European Cup performance: semi-finals (2015/16)

Borussia Mönchengladbach (GER)
• UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2015/16): 49
• How they qualified: fourth in German Bundesliga, play-off winners
• Previous group stage campaigns: 1 (last appearance: 2015/16)
• Last season: UEFA Champions League group stage
• Best European Cup performance: runners-up (1976/77)

Highlights: Mönchengladbach 1-2 Manchester City

Celtic (SCO)
• UEFA coefficient ranking: 54
• How they qualified: first in Scottish Premier League, play-off winners
• Previous group stage campaigns: 8 (last appearance: 2013/14)
• Last season: UEFA Champions League play-offs/UEFA Europa League group stage
• Best European Cup performance: winners (1966/67)

Matchday one fixtures (Tuesday 13 September)
Barcelona v Celtic
Manchester City v Mönchengladbach

Guardiola’s Champions League journey

Key facts
• Manchester City boss Josep Guardiola will meet his old side in his first season with his new club.
• Barcelona defeated City in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 in 2013/14 (agg: 4-1) and 2014/15 (agg: 3-1).
• City's Claudio Bravo (2014-16) and Yaya Touré (2007-2010) have played at Barcelona, while Barcelona's Denis Suárez was at City from 2013-15.
• City did the double over Gladbach in last season's group stage, winning 2-1 in Germany and 4-2 at home.
• Celtic famously beat Barcelona 2-1 at home in the 2012/13 group stage, having lost by the same scoreline in Spain a fortnight earlier. The following season, Barça prevailed 1-0 in Glasgow and 6-1 at Camp Nou.

Reaction to the draw
Jordi Mestre, Barcelona vice-president
We have to treat [the reunion with Guardiola] as something that just happens in the football world. I think City have already changed under Pep, but we'll have to see how good they are when we play against them. Both games will be really difficult.

Txiki Begiristain, Man. City sporting director
Both games against Borussia Mönchengladbach were tough last year, even though we won them both. They are a very strong side and it's going to be hard again. It's good for Pep [Guardiola] because he knows Borussia very well from his time at Bayern and Barcelona as well, so we will see. He had been back to Barça before with Bayern Munich so it's not the first time he's returned to the Camp Nou. Celtic will be hard as well – I love watching Celtic play Rangers and games like that and they are friends of ours so, as I say, it's an amazing group.

Patrick Herrmann, Mönchengladbach midfielder
The Champions League exists so you can compete against the best players in the world, and that's what we'll be doing again. I have already sent a text to [Barcelona keeper] Marc-André ter Stegen. I am looking forward to that game, but matches in England are something extra special for me.

Lars Stindl, Mönchengladbach forward
We have been drawn into an outrageously strong group again. Barcelona and City are among the best teams in Europe. We are delighted to be in the thick of those high-quality challenges.

Oscar Wendt, Mönchengladbach defender
What a fascinating group! We can look forward to some special games. The away matches will be great, not just for us, but also for our fans. Champions League nights at Celtic Park are something else. 

Tony Watt goal: See how Celtic beat Barcelona in 2012

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