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Manchester United draw Braga, Galatasaray, and CFR Cluj for Champions League group stage

United have some new attacking weapons to display in Europe this time around.
United have some new attacking weapons to display in Europe this time around.

Well, there are certainly no complaints from me in regards to Manchester United's UEFA Champions League group stage draw. In Group H, Sir Alex Ferguson's side will take on Braga, Galatasaray, and CFR Cluj in this season's edition of Europe's finest continental competition. United were certainly fortunate to avoid the likes of Valencia, Benfica, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain, and Borussia Dortmund. However, after last season's disappointment in this same competition -- where United were also considered clear favorites to top their group -- the club certainly shouldn't assume that they will triumph from their favorable draw. Nonetheless, supporters can consider themselves fortunate.

Braga finished third last season in Portugal's top-flight league and they earned advancement to the group stages after defeating Italian side Udinese over a two-legged tie. Galatasaray are the Turkish champions and one of their key players is former Bolton Wanderers forward Johan Elmander. I quite honestly don't know much about CFR Cluj other than they are the current Romanian champions.

Here is the full draw:

Group A: Porto, Dynamo Kiev, Paris Saint-Germain, Dinamo Zagreb

Group B: Arsenal, Shalke, Olympiacos, Montpellier

Group C: AC Milan, Zenit St-Petersburg, Anderlecht, Malaga

Group D: Real Madrid, Manchester City, Ajax, Borussia Dortmund

Group E: Chelsea, Shakhtar Donetsk, Juventus, Nordsjaelland

Group F: Bayern Munich, Valencia, Lille, Bate Borisov

Group G: Barcelona, Benfica, Spartak Moscow, Celtic

Group H: Manchester United, Braga, Galatasaray, CFR Cluj

Group D is definitely the proverbial 'group of death'. City will certainly be challenged to advance from a group that includes Spanish champions Real Madrid and German champions BVD.

What are you thoughts on the draw? Feel free to sound off in the comments below.