It was not the mouth-watering showdown with Italian giants Inter that has caused Begiristain the most consternation though, but the long winter trips to Ukraine and Russia to face Dynamo and Rubin.

In terms of travelling, Barca could barely have asked for a better start to the defence of their title as they start in Group F away to Inter, before successive home matches against Dynamo and Rubin.

However, it gets much trickier after that as Barca have to travel to Kazan in November before completing their group campaign in Kiev in mid-December - something Begiristain would rather have avoided.

"I don't like those matches. We have the experience of playing against Shakhtar, where last season we had it very bad," said Begiristain, recalling last October's trip to Donetsk where Barca needed goals from Lionel Messi in the 87th and 94th minutes to snatch a 2-1 win.

"They are long trips and at a bad time of this year. This means we will have to be careful.

"You'd like to start and finish at home, but that isn't the case either.

"We have three games in a row, against Kiev and Rubin Kazan, where we have to make a big push to assure ourselves of qualification.

"But I don't like it, finishing in Kiev is something I don't like at all. It forces us to have to have everything ready so as not to suffer."

The matches against Inter presents Barca with different challenges, and will see a number of old boys come up against their former employees, including new Barca defender Maxwell, plus Inter coach Jose Mourinho and midfielder Thiago Motta.

The most obvious area of interest, though, involves Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Samuel Eto'o, who swapped clubs this summer with the Swede moving to Barca in a deal which saw 46million euros plus Eto'o - valued at 20million - go to Inter.

Barca president Joan Laporta said after being paired with the Italian side: "I was pretty convinced we would draw them, sometimes destiny throws up such things.

"It will be special. Samuel will be especially motivated for his return to the Nou Camp, but we will also have a very motivated player when Ibrahimovic goes back to the San Siro."

Begiristain added: "Samuel will want to do well and score goals, but not because it's against Barca but because it's his life and he would do the same against any other team."