Werkself face FC Porto, Atlético Madrid and Club Brugge

That means the Werkself are in Group B along with the Portuguese champions, the team that finished third in La Liga and the Belgian champions from the Jupiler Pro League.

Fernando Carro, Bayer 04 CEO, was at the draw in Istanbul: "An exciting group with familiar faces. We now have to do everything we can to achieve stability as soon as possible in the league to be able to enjoy these great football nights and be in a position to win."

Simon Rolfes, Bayer 04 sporting managing director, also spoke after the draw: "It's an interesting and balanced group. Atlético Madrid – there's always a special atmosphere. I played my last Champions League game in the old stadium in Madrid. All the teams have different ways of playing. I'm looking forward to the matches and I believe we can do something. We'll have to see that we get back on track in the league. The Champions League is a competition that also unleashes energy. We hope to find our rhythm in the coming weeks and rediscover our form in the next games."

The first matchday is on 6/7 September. The group stage finishes on 1/2 November. The match dates will be announced by Saturday 27 August at the latest.