Group A analysis: Paris, Madrid, Shakhtar, Malmö

Group A pedigree
Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) – Pot 1
Previous group stage campaigns: 10 (last appearance: 2014/15)
Last season: UEFA Champions League group stage
Best European Cup performance: semi-finals (1994/95)

Real Madrid (ESP) – Pot 2 
Previous group stage campaigns: 19 (last appearance: 2014/15)
Last season: UEFA Champions League semi-finals
Best European Cup performance: winners (1955/56, 1956/57, 1957/58, 1958/59, 1959/60, 1965/66, 1997/98, 1999/2000, 2001/02, 2013/14)

Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR) – Pot 3
Previous group stage campaigns: 9 (last appearance: 2014/15)
Last season: UEFA Champions League round of 16
Best European Cup performance: quarter-finals (2010/11)

Malmö (SWE) – Pot 4
Previous group stage campaigns: 1 (2014/15)
Last season: UEFA Champions League group stage
Best European Cup performance: runners-up (1978/79)

Matchday one fixtures (Tuesday 15 September)
Paris v Malmö
Madrid v Shakhtar

Zlatan Ibrahimović returns to Malmö©AFP/Getty Images

Key group facts

• Paris overturned a 3-1 first-leg defeat at Real Madrid to win their 1992/93 UEFA Cup quarter-final with a 4-1 home triumph. In the teams' only other encounters, Paris were 2-1 aggregate winners in the 1993/94 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup quarter-finals.

• Paris or Real Madrid have never played Shakhtar or Malmö, while the Ukrainian and Swedish sides have never met either.

• Paris striker Zlatan Ibrahimović started his career at home-town club Malmö, signing in 1996 and moving up to the first team three years later. Sixteen goals in 40 league appearances later, he was on his way to Ajax, in 2001.

Reaction to the draw
Laurent Blanc, Paris coach
There were some teams to avoid in the third and fourth pots; it could have been even worse [in addition to Real Madrid from Pot 2]. We can consider ourselves and Real as the favourites, and Shakhtar and Malmö are very tough challengers.

Rasmus Bengtsson, Malmö defender
It's MFF versus PSG, so I hope the fans support us and not Zlatan! I know that Zlatan gets enormous support. Sometimes when Sweden play, there is as much support for Zlatan as for the team. I hope we will get strong backing and I think we will.