The group stage is set for the upcoming season of Europe’s top flight league, the UEFA Champions League, as two groups of deaths emerge and some teams get the easier of the lot.
The 2023-24 UEFA Champions League group stage draw occurred in Monaco on Thursday - an event that the entire football fan base eagerly looks forward to every year. The biggest stage of European football competition is slated to extend through June 2024.
The 2023/24 group stage draw ✅#UCLdraw pic.twitter.com/kCTj9JfBFM
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) August 31, 2023
The draw certainly did not disappoint as two heavily packed groups emerged from the lots, with the likes of Paris Saint Germain, AC Milan and Newcastle in a single group. On the other hand, fortune favoured a few other big teams like Bayern Munich as some of the presumably easier-to-face teams were drawn in the same group as them.
The Champions League is back. #UCLdraw || #UCL pic.twitter.com/n9kJ1bNSSD
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) August 31, 2023
Paris St Germain is set to begin a new run for their pursuit of their first-ever Champions League title in Group F, alongside strong horses like Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan, and Newcastle United, who secured a European spot after a jaw-dropping campaign last season. The draw has been hailed by the fans as the strongest and toughest group among all the others, owing it the moniker of the “group of death”.
Our opponents in group F for the group stage of the @ChampionsLeague 🔴🔵
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) August 31, 2023
🆚 @BVB
🆚 @acmilan
🆚 @NUFC#UCLdraw I #WeAreParis pic.twitter.com/dk4uFDJxvZ
Meanwhile, the current champions, Manchester City, will face RB Leipzig, Red Star Belgrade, and Young Boys in Group G. Manchester City secured their first-ever European crown this year, as a part of the treble of trophies they won, and it's expected that Pep Guardiola's team will breeze through to the last 16, especially given their walk-in-the-park 7-0 victory over Leipzig in the previous tournament.
In Group C, the 14-time Champions League winners, helmed as the most successful team in the UCL, Real Madrid, will compete against Serie A champions Napoli, Braga, and Union Berlin.
Meanwhile, Group A will witness the clash of giants as German powerhouse Bayern Munich takes on Manchester United, FC Copenhagen, and Galatasaray. This is also one of the toughest groups that emerged as a result of the draw.
3, 2, 1... 🏎️🏁
— FC Bayern Munich (@FCBayernEN) August 31, 2023
𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩 𝐀 are off to the races! ⭐#MiaSanMia #UCLDraw pic.twitter.com/nOab53mW3a
Last year’s Champion's League runner's-up, Inter Milan, have been handed an easy route again as they will face off against Benfica, RB Salzburg, and Real Sociedad in Group D.
Meanwhile, the Europa League champions, Sevilla, and Arsenal find themselves in Group B, accompanied by PSV Eindhoven and RC Lens. Arsenal have earned a place at the biggest stage of European football after eight long years and it is safe to say that they will try to make it count, or at the very least rub off the memories of bottling the Premier League to Manchester City last season.
Barcelona, the reigning La Liga champions will look to mark an end to the long run of European disappointments as they pick one of the easiest lots from the entire draw. Barca are set to compete with Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk, and Royal Antwerp in Group H. Looking at the fact that Barcelona have struggled for the last few seasons to even cross the group stage of the competition, the pressure is entirely on Xavi and his men.
👀 Our @ChampionsLeague group stage opponents!
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) August 31, 2023
Real Madrid’s arch-rivals, Atletico Madrid, have been handed the another easier pack for their upcoming drive at the European competition as their Group E consists of Feyenoord, Lazio, and Celtic. In spite of the other teams in the group being the single powerhouse in their respective leagues, the Spanish side are the favourites to top the group and earn a place at the knockout stages of the competition.
The group stage draw has surely set up and exciting slate for the fans which will, like every other season, give out another thrilling season full of nail-biters out of it.