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Lionel Messi leads Barcelona into a huge Round of 16 showdown with AC Milan.

The Champions League is back -- and once again you have the chance to take on your friends with ESPN's Pick 'em predictions game.

Simply select the result from each Champions League match, and you'll be rewarded with one point for every correct pick from the 96 matches in the group stage. The points then rise as we go into the knockout rounds, with four points for each the Round of 16 ties, eight for the quarterfinal games, 16 for picking who emerges from the semifinals and a mammoth 32 points for selecting the winners of the final.

The Pick 'em game does not use the straight win, lose or draw. We have weighted the options in favor of the side that could be perceived as the underdogs. So if we take Real Madrid versus Manchester City on the opening night as an example, there is the option to go for a Real Madrid win or to predict a City win PLUS the game to be a draw. So one of the teams will get the draw in addition to the win.

Handing the draw to one of the teams brings an extra element of skill into the Pick 'em game. The favorites will be expected to come out on top, but if you do go for the underdogs you effectively get two results for the price of one. But will you choose the correct games to take that risk?

It is Group D, involving Real Madrid and Man City, which may cause most problems. The champions of Spain and England, the two top leagues in the world, go head to head and City getting a result at the Bernabeu cannot be ruled out.

Then you have Borussia Dortmund, title winners of the German Bundesliga, which is ranked as the third-best European league by UEFA. Dortmund may not have impressed in Europe in recent seasons, but they certainly cannot be taken lightly. And Ajax, which won the league in the Netherlands, gave Manchester United a real fright in the Europa League last season.

Looking at the other groups, Paris Saint Germain and FC Porto will be expected to dominate Group A, while Arsenal appear to be the stand-out team in Group B. Group C is tough to call with AC Milan having sold star names, while Zenit have invested heavily in their squad by signing Hulk and Axel Witsel. Malaga make their debut and will be an unknown quantity having also sold key players, which may leave Anderlecht as the whipping boys.

It looks to be a tight opening game in Group E, with holders Chelsea facing Serie A champions Juventus at Stamford Bridge. Shakhtar Donetsk will be expected to give FC Nordsjaelland a lesson on their introduction to the Champions League, but can the Ukrainian side challenge Chelsea and Juve for a place in the knockout stages?

Bayern and Valencia lead the way in Group F, with Lille and BATE Barisov seemingly having a tall order to make it through. Barcelona will be expected to walk Group G, also involving Benfica, Celtic and Spartak Moscow -- and the games involving these three sides could be close.

The final group should be dominated by Manchester United, but don't forget that last season they failed to finish in the top two of a group which was of a similar strength. Braga, CFR Cluj and Galatasaray make up the rest of Group H.

There are always plenty of shocks throughout the Champions League group stage, and those of you who can successfully pick those out will be well placed before the points begin to stack up in the knockout rounds.

And be sure to follow ESPNFC.com's UEFA Champions League section to get all the news and scores you'll need throughout the tournament.

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