CHAMPIONS LEAGUE United are handed a European date with history...
UNITED have been drawn with Benfica, Basel and CSKA Moscow in the Champions League group stage.
The Europa League winners last met Benfica in the Champions League in 2011, drawing both group games, and famously beat them in the 1968 European Cup final to win the trophy for the first time.
Victor Lindelof will return to the Estadio da Luz for the first time since his £30.7m summer move, while Jose Mourinho spent three months in charge of the Lisbon giants in his first managerial job in 2000.
In terms of other ties between both clubs, Nemanja Matic enjoyed three seasons at Benfica before Mourinho brought him back to Chelsea in 2014.
United were in Pot 2 so avoided tricky tests against Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Paris-Saint Germain and Borussia Dortmund in the group stage draw at UEFA’s headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.
They also missed out on tough clashes against Bayern Munich, Juventus, Monaco and Real Madrid, as well as a nasty trip to Shakhtar Donetsk – all five teams were in Pot 1.
They did draw Swiss champions Basel from pot 3, though, who they previously met in the group stages in 2002 and 2011. Benfica were also in that group six years ago when United went out.
The Reds will have to contend with a tricky trip to play CSKA Moscow, who Mourinho previously faced with Chelsea in 2004.
Viktor Goncharenko’s side finished second in last season’s Russian Premier League, but are currently six points off top spot.
United have not played in the Champions League since 2015, when Louis van Gaal’s side failed to escape a group featuring Wolfsburg, PSV and CSKA Moscow.
After picking up just eight points in their first five matches, an injury-hit United were eliminated by Wolfsburg in their final group fixture. But two-time winner Mourinho has never been eliminated in the group stages of the competition. The Portuguese previously lifted Ol’ Big Ears with Porto and Inter Milan in 2004 and 2010, and is looking to become the first manager to win the trophy with three different teams.