Ronaldinho (pictured) will be one of the main catalysts for AC Milan's attempt to make it back to the upper echelon of European football, but 31 other teams hold similar dreams after the Champions League group stage draw.

Robert Burns breaks down each group and tells you which two clubs from each group will advance to the knockout stage in February with a chance to claim the greatest club trophy in football.

One of the toughest groups in this year's Champions League, Group A promises to be an offensive explosion with defending champs Inter Milan, never-say-die German club Werder Bremen,  newcomers Tottenham, and the rank outsiders FC Twente from Holland. Inter's quality is well known around the globe and there's no doubt the Nerazzurri are the favorites to win the group. Expect some quality shootouts between Bremen and Spurs -- there won't be much defense to speak of in these matches. Twente are Dutch champions, but that doesn't hold the same weight it used to.

Picks to advance: Inter Milan, Werder Bremen

A well-balanced group with Lyon, Benfica, Schalke and Hapoel Tel-Aviv, any of those first three can claim the group outright. Lyon is always good value in Europe thanks to a fairly weak domestic league which allows them to focus on Europe, while the opposite can be said for German side Schalke. Benfica used to be one of the biggest names in Europe, but the loss of star player Angel di Maria to Real Madrid won't help their cause. Israeli football is on the rise, just not quick enough to make an impact here.

Picks to advance: Olympique Lyon, FC Schalke 04

It's the Battle of Britain in Group C with Manchester United taking on Rangers, while Spanish stalwarts Valencia and new Turkish champions Bursaspor round out the group. The Red Devils are a class above their opposition, but expect Rangers to give them a tough fight, especially at Ibrox. While Rangers will be fired up against United, they'll wither against Spanish style and Turkish atmosphere. Valencia is weakened after losing stars David Villa and David Silva, but are still a formidable side in this group, while Bursaspor will simply be happy to be playing on a Tuesday night.

Picks to advance: Manchester United, Valencia CF

Group D features everyone's favorite juggernaut FC Barcelona, accompanied by a rag-tag collection of European clubs who really don't belong on the same pitch at any stage of European competition. The Catalans' only fear might be sleepwalking through a few of these prelude matches with an eye on the real games in February and beyond. Panathinaikos, Copenhagen and Rubin Kazan from Russia finish off the group and that will be a second-place dogfight to behold for any hardcore fans.

Picks to advance: FC Barcelona, FC Rubin Kazan

Bayern Munich reached last year's final and will be buoyed with dreams of going one step further this year after being drawn with a tough Roma side (runners-up to Inter Milan in Serie A last season), Swiss side Basel and Romanian club CFR Cluj. Both Bayern and Roma are proud European sides and you can expect some tasty battles between those two, while the Basel and Cluj matches will simply provide good training for the Germans and Italians along the way.

Picks to advance: Bayern Munich, AS Roma

Didier Drogba (pictured) and Chelsea will face the Ivorian ace's former club Marseille in Group F, along with tough Russian side Spartak Moscow and Slovakian newcomers MSK Zilina. The Blues won't be fearful of any side in this group, but trips to Russia in the winter are always tricky affairs, while the Stade Velodrome in the south of France is always a tough venue to play at. Marseille boasts some well-known stars that can trouble the best sides on their day, while the up-and-coming Russian league will prepare Spartak well for the challenges in Europe. Zilina? Enjoy the shopping in London.

Picks to advance: Chelsea, Olympique Marseille

The pressure is on this year for Ronaldo (pictured) and Real Madrid, and the draw did Los Merengues no favors as they were paired into this year's Group of Death with Italian giants AC Milan, legendary Dutch club Ajax Amsterdam and French side Auxerre. Real has re-loaded yet again this summer (not quite as dramatically as last year), while the Rossoneri still have the look of an older side that's counting on experience to outweigh youthful vigor. Ajax boasts Uruguayan star Luis Suarez up top, but is short on defense and discipline, while Auxerre may provide a surprise here or there along the way.

Picks to advance: Real Madrid, AC Milan

With Cesc Fabregas finally settled back in London after a summer courtship with Barcelona, the Gunners shouldn't have too many problems in Group H facing Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk, Sporting Braga from Portugal and Partizan Belgrade. Former Arsenal striker Eduardo certainly didn't want to face his old team in Europe, but that's exactly what he got. Will he make them pay? Probably not -- Shakhtar sold off many of its best players from its great European run a few years back, while Braga and Partizan are good enough to cause some headaches for other teams, but not good enough to do it consistently. However, one of these teams has to finish second and reach the knockout stage.

Picks to advance: Arsenal, Sporting Braga