The draws of the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League group stage were conducted in Monaco on Thursday, with the 32 teams in the eight groups hopeful of becoming the last one standing on 1 June, when the final will be played at the iconic Wembley Stadium in London.
Premium Times looks at all eight groups and they look seemingly straight shootouts for first and second places.
Group A: Bayern Munich, Man United, FC Copenhagen, Galatasaray
The trip to Turkey will be daunting for any of the top two in this group-Bayern Munich and Manchester United. Whilst most pundits will expect these two to stroll through the group and easily book their round of 16 tickets, there will be a bump or two along the way, especially if league form dips below the expected level in the Bundesliga and English Premier League for Bayern and United.
Group B: Sevilla, Arsenal, PSV, RC Lens
Arsenal return to the Champions League stage and are well stocked to get good results in the Netherlands and France. Sevilla will always be tough opponents on the continent but no one will be surprised if they finish third and return to the Europa League, their usual stomping ground.
Group C: Napoli, Real Madrid, SC Braga, Union Berlin
The favourites by far will be Napoli and Real Madrid. Napoli are Serie A champions while Real Madrid are 14-time champions, who can never be brushed aside in Europe. Union Berlin will spring a surprise or two while SC Braga, have a mixture of youth and experience, with many of the players seeking the UCL stage to shine and move to greener pastures.
Group D: Benfica, Inter Milan, Salzburg, Real Sociedad
Benfica have lost Goncalo Ramos to PSG and have not started the season too well, having already lost once in three games.
Group E: Feyenoord, Atletico Madrid, Lazio, Celtic
Atletico will go through, all things being equal. The issue for Celtic, under Brendan Rodgers, will be to prove the rise of Scottish football, which will be a daunting task in visits to Madrid, Rome, and Rotterdam.
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Group F: PSG, Dortmund, AC Milan, Newcastle
This is the group of death. From France to Italy, Milan, and Newcastle, the sheer unpredictability of the teams’ form will prove the adventure and suspense in this group. Will Newcastle freeze in UCL headlights, or will PSG finally come good under Luis Enrique, and with Neymar gone? AC Milan have had a successful transfer season and have started the season
Group G: Man City, RB Leipzig, Crvena Zvezda, Young Boys
Anything goes here but the fact that City will finish the group unbeaten and will have since qualified for the next round before matchday six. The second place will depend on Leipzig, who can be more Hyde than Jekyll.
Group H: Barcelona, FC Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk, Antwerp
A European history lesson for Barcelona, who will be on sight-seeing tours of the rustic settings of Antwerp. Porto will prove a challenge but Barcelona should be good enough for 18 points.
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