Thirty-two of Europe's elite, eight months of thrills, away goals and heartache for the right to lift 'Mr Big Ears' in one historical stadium in May. It's that time again, the return of the UEFA Champions League. ExtraFootie looks ahead group by group to Europe's premier club competition.

With the power base of European football gradually swinging from England to Spain coupled with the rise of various challengers from leagues all across Europe, it is concomitant to say that this seasons UEFA Champions League promises to be glitzier, more riveting and as compelling as ever.

ExtraFootie gives a run-down on every last team.

Group A consists of four-time winners Bayern Munich, two-time winners Juventus, French champions Bordeaux and Israeli outfit Maccabi Haifa.

This surprisingly is the third time that Bayern and Juve have met in the group stages of the competition in five years. New Bianconeri coach Ciro Ferrara has rejuvenated his squad by adding fresh faces such as playmaker Diego and midfielder Felipe Melo.

The group itself is full of attacking talent with Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben spearheading Bayern’s midfield whilst Laurent Blanc’s Bordeaux boast the services of maestro Yoann Gourcuff.

Eleven-time Israeli champions Maccabi Haifa will in hindsight be seen as the whipping boys though they would take heed of Laurent Blanc’s view that the role of the dark horses could be pivotal.

Group B consists of 2008 winners Manchester United, the Turkish double winners Besiktas, Russian outfit CSKA Moscow and German champions Wolfsburg.

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has already expressed his concerns over the lengthy four-hour flights to play in Besiktas' Inonu Stadium and CSKA Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium - scene of their triumph in 2008.

With all four teams enduring sluggish starts to the season it could come down to home form but of course the Red Devils will be expecting qualification and as group winners.

Perhaps the most intriguing group is Group C - containing the likes of AC Milan, Real Madrid and Marseille who between them have won an astonishing 17 European Cups.

So who can stop the Galacticos part II going all the way and lifting their tenth European trophy in their own stadium come May? On paper, Los Blancos have perhaps the most complete squad in Europe along with a manager in Manuel Pellegrini who has sound Champions League pedigree having guided Villarreal to a semi-final and a quarter-final eliminating the likes of Inter Milan along the way.

Having endured a disappointing start to the season Leonardo's AC Milan look vulnerable to not only high-flying Marseille, but also to Swiss Super League champions FC Zurich who make their maiden bow in Europe's premier club competition.

Nevertheless, an early return to the San Siro for Kaka on November 3rd in perhaps the most glamorous tie of the whole group stage could decide who takes the winners or the runners-up spot in this most exciting of groups.

Group D in theory sounds like an inevitability. Chelsea should top the group and it is a straight fight between FC Porto and Atletico Madrid for the runners-up spot in a rematch of last season's first knock-out round tie which the Portuguese champions won on the away-goals rule.

Twenty-time Cypriot champions Apoel of Nicosia having already eliminated FC Copenhagen in the qualifiers will be banking on their home form to provide some sort of miracle.

Gerard Houllier must have been watching with a wry grin when he saw that two of his most recent former clubs Liverpool and Olympique Lyonnais were paired together for the first ever time.

Liverpool's pedigree in Europe coupled with Rafa Benitez's tactical guile makes them firm favourites to progress although Fiorentina's return for a second successive campaign may well concern the groups big guns.

Key to Cesare Prandelli's men’s progress will be their away form however, a scoring draw away to Sporting Lisbon in the qualifiers shows that in Alberto Gilardino and Adrian Mutu who has 47 goals in 77 group games, the Viola have what it takes to mount a serious push for qualification. Hungarian champions Debrecen round up the group.

Holders Barcelona, perhaps the most decorated, free-flowing team in world football today will officially begin their quest to retain the jug-eared trophy in Group F when they travel to the San Siro to face Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan side in a match which with a twist of fate sees strikers Samuel Eto’o and Zlatan Ibrahimovic face-off against their old employers.

"Barca are the Alpha and the Omega. They are the best in the world. They have all you need." said former Real Madrid legend Redondo.

Inter Milan along with Dynamo Kiev and Russian new boys Rubin Kazan will take heart from Chelsea's tactical master-class. Nevertheless, the two games between Inter Milan and Barcelona on September 15th and then the return leg on November 24th is a must see, not only for football fans but also for group winners everywhere as one of them will face the runners-up in the first knock-out rounds.

Dubbed the 'group of dearth', Group G consists of Sevilla, Rangers, VFB Stuttgart and Romanian champions Unirea Urziceni is the archetypal 'open-group' whereas Group H, consisting of Arsenal, AZ Alkmaar, Olympiakos and Standard Liege sees last season's semi-finalists Arsenal counting their blessings.

Despite being the only non-champions in the group the Gunners slick, free-flowing football should prove too much for the others although the runners-up spot is an achievable target for the others.