UEFA Champions League play-off draw made

Manchester United must beat Belgian outfit Club Brugge in a playoff to advance to the Champions League group stage after a one-year absence.

Two-time finalists Valencia were paired with Monaco, quarter-finalists last season, in Friday's 20-team playoff-round draw.

Lazio will face Bayer Leverkusen, and Sporting Lisbon will take on CSKA Moscow.

Rapid Vienna, the lowest-ranked team among the non-champions in the draw, are at home first against Shakhtar Donetsk.

First-leg matches will be played on August 18 and 19, and return matches on August 25 and 26.

The ten winners advance to the 32-team group-stage draw on August 27 in Monaco.

Three-time winners United return to Europe's top club competition after a one-year absence, which was its first since 1995-96.

The reward for advancing is a 12 million euros ($A17.85 million) prize money bonus from European governing body UEFA for being in the group stage, plus 2 million euros ($A3 million) for winning the playoff.

UEFA has increased Champions League prize money by 33 per cent this season, and will share more than 1.2 billion euros ($A1.8 billion) among the 32 group-stage clubs.

Playoff losers this month are compensated with 3 million euros ($A4.5 million) and a place in the Europa League groups, which guarantees a 2.4 million euros ($A3.6 million) bonus.

Play-off draw

League route

Lazio (ITA) v Bayer Leverkusen (GER) – 18 & 26 August

Manchester United (ENG) v Club Brugge (BEL) – 18 & 26 August

Sporting CP (POR) v CSKA Moskva (RUS) – 18 & 26 August

Rapid Wien (AUT) v Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR) – 19 & 25 August

Valencia (ESP) v AS Monaco (FRA) – 19 & 25 August

Champions route

Astana (KAZ) v APOEL (CYP) – 18 & 26 August

Skënderbeu (ALB) v Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) – 19 & 25 August

Celtic (SCO) v Malmö (SWE) – 19 & 25 August

FC Basel (SUI) v Maccabi Tel-Aviv (ISR) – 19 & 25 August

BATE Borisov (BLR) v Partizan (SRB) – 18 & 26 August

Matches

• All games at 20.45CET except Astana v APOEL on 18 August at 18.00CET.

• The defeated teams will transfer to the UEFA Europa League group stage

Road to Milan: Full season calendar

Bye to group stage draw (Monaco, 27 August): Barcelona (holders), Bayern München, Chelsea, Benfica, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus, Zenit, PSV Eindhoven, Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid, FC Porto, Arsenal, Manchester City, Sevilla, Olympique Lyonnais, Dynamo Kyiv, Olympiacos, Galatasaray, AS Roma, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Wolfsburg, KAA Gent

Draw facts:

• If Valencia win their play-off, Spain will be the first nation to have five clubs in the same group stage.

• Borussia Mönchengladbach could be the 11th different German side to compete in the UEFA Champions League group stage, one more than France and behind only Spain on 13.

• Astana are the only remaining European Cup debutants.

Previous winners in play-offs

Manchester United (1968, 1999, 2008), Celtic (1967)

Other UEFA Cup /UEFA Europa League (UEL) or European Cup Winners' Cup (CWC) winners in play-offs

Valencia (2004 UEL, 1980 CWC), Shakhtar Donetsk (2009 IUEL)

Sporting CP (1964 CWC)

Clubs who could be their nation's first group stage representatives

Skënderbeu (ALB), Astana (KAZ)

Clubs that could return to group stage from 2014/15

Bayer Leverkusen, Sporting CP, FC Basel, Shakhtar Donetsk, CSKA Moskva, AS Monaco, BATE Borisov, Malmö, APOEL

Teams remaining from second qualifying round who have previously progressed from there to group stage

BATE Borisov (2008/09, 2011/12, 2012/13, 2014/15), Partizan (2010/11), APOEL (2009/10, 2011/12), Dinamo Zagreb (2011/12, 2012/13), Celtic FC (2013/14), Malmö (2014/15)

6:44 AM