Bayer Leverkusen, AS Roma and BATE Borisov group stage opponents

Monaco (FCB).- Bayer Leverkusen, AS Roma and BATE Borisov will be FC Barcelona's opponents in group E in this season's Champions League. Luis Enrique's team will begin the defence of their title and the road to Milan - the venue for this season's final - and their first challenge will be against the sides from Germany, Italy and Belarus in the group stages. Barça have met Bayer three times in the Champions League era. AS Roma was the rival of the Joan Gamper trophy a few weeks ago, while BATE Borisov is former Barça man Aleksander Hleb’ team. 

Bayern

Barça have met Bayer three times in the Champions League era, but one game stands out above all the others. It was the round of 16 in 2012, when Barça walloped the Germans 7-1 in the second leg, with an amazing Leo Messi getting five goals. Bayer are playing in this season’s Champions League after beating Lazio in the playoffs, and are bidding to make it through to the last sixteen for the third time in a row.

AS Roma

A repeat of the Joan Gamper Trophy a few weeks ago, when Barça beat the Italians 3-0. Barça youth product Iago Falqué is in the Roma squad, as is Seydou Keita, who commented before the Gamper that it was nice to return to his former home in what was ultimately just a friendly. A Champions League match will be a very different story, and the first between these sides since 2001.

BATE Borisov

They may have won their national league nine times on the trot, but BATE have yet to make it any further than the Champions League group stage. They’re back for another try, and against Barça they’ll be hoping to do better than the 5-0 and 4-0 defeats they suffered the first time they met in 2011. And one of the men that will be helping them to do just that is former Barça man Aleksander Hleb, now back plying his trade in his home country.