Highlighting the key matchups and storylines in each group in this season’s UEFA Champions League.
The UEFA Champions League (UCL) schedule kicks off on Tuesday, Sept. 19th as all 32 teams begin their journey to June’s final with aspirations of playing at the iconic Wembley Stadium. Before the final’s matchup can be set, teams must make it out of their group to continue their chase for the title. Here is a preview of each group and the exciting storylines that follow.
Group A (Bayern Munich, Manchester United, F.C. Copenhagen, Galatasaray)
Right at the onset of matchday one, Group A delivers a sensational matchup between Bundesliga winners Bayern Munich and England powerhouse Manchester United on Sept. 20th. Wednesday’s game, along with their other meeting on Dec. 12th, will likely decide the winner of Group A.
However, F.C. Copenhagen and Galatasaray are aiming to spoil the two giants’ pathway to the knockout stage and claim a spot themselves.
Copenhagen currently sits atop the Danish Superliga with six wins in the first seven games, led by midfielder Diogo Goncalves’ four goals in six games to begin the season, and hope to continue that form into the UCL.
Galatasaray will look to defend their way into the Champions League knockout round, having not allowed a goal this season in the Turkish Super Lig. Goalkeeper Fernando Muslera will be looking for another clean sheet when they open their campaign against Copenhagen.
Group B (Sevilla, Arsenal, RC Lens, PSV Eindhoven)
2023 FA Community Shield winners Arsenal are the overwhelming favourites to win the group, despite this being their first appearance in the UCL in six seasons.
Both Sevilla and RC Lens have had disastrous starts to their domestic seasons, as the reigning UEFA Europa League winners currently sit in last place in La Liga and the French side is in second last with only one point in four matches.
PSV Eindhoven will be looking to pounce on the early struggles of those teams with aspirations of making the round of 16 for the first time since the 2015-16 season.
Group C (Real Madrid, Napoli, SC Braga, Union Berlin)
The 14-time UCL Champions aim to bring another UCL trophy back to Madrid and have a relatively easy path in the group stage.
Union Berlin are making their Champions League debut and should pose little to no threat to the Spanish goliath.
Braga qualified for the UCL by finishing a distant third in the Primera Liga in Portugal a season ago but should still put up a fight against their mightier opponents. Artur Jorge’s side has an outside chance of sneaking into the top two and will rely heavily on winger Ricardo Horta if they plan on doing so.
Real Madrid’s biggest test will be against Napoli, the reigning Serie A winners. The Italian side won the league last year by a substantial 16 points and are hoping that their dominance from Serie A last season can carry over into success on Europe’s biggest stage.
Group D (Inter Milan, Benfica, Salzburg, Real Sociedad)
Group D is one of the more interesting groups given the intrigue of all four of the teams.
Inter Milan and Benfica are favoured on paper, given their history, recent success and top players, but Real Sociedad and Salzburg should not be taken lightly.
Real Sociedad finished fourth in La Liga a year ago, which included a win and a draw against Real Madrid, and two wins and a draw against the UEFA Europa League winners Sevilla, showing their ability to compete with powerhouse teams.
Salzburg are having a phenomenal start to their season, winning all six of their opening games in the Australian Bundesliga, only allowing two goals while scoring 16 in that span. Their confidence is booming as they head into a big game in Lisbon on Wednesday against Benfica and their hostile fans.
Group E (Atletico Madrid, Lazio, Feyenoord, Celtic)
Beyond the prowess of Atletico Madrid, Group E is wide open between the other three teams.
Celtic head into matchday one atop the Scottish Premiership standings and are eager to avenge their winless UCL campaign last season which included big losses to the other Madrid team.
Lazio come into the Champions League sitting in 12th in the league, despite finishing as the Serie A runner-up a year ago. The Italian squad face a tough test early having to face Antione Griezmann, Alvaro Morata and Atletico Madrid on Tuesday, but a favourable result from that match sets them a step closer to the knockout rounds.
Feyenoord is a team that can sneak their way into second place and exceed expectations. The 2022-23 Eredivisie Champions only lost twice in their domestic league a season ago and will look to Mexico’s Santiago Gimenez to add to his tally of five goals so far this early in the season.
Group F (Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan, Newcastle United)
The “group of death” as many proclaim!
Picking a group winner is difficult as each team has a realistic shot at winning the group and advancing to the knockout stage.
PSG are the slight favourites given they have Kylian Mbappe at their disposal – arguably the best player in the world right now. The French Champions will rely on the 24-year-old, hoping that he once again displays his ability to take over a game as he has done time and time again.
AC Milan will be hoping to reach the semi-finals again as they did last season. The Italian powerhouse added some significant pieces to their squad that should bolster their chances of competing with the other soccer giants in their group. American striker Christian Pulisic already has two goals in three matches to open the Serie A season and will be a monumental piece in the Rossoneri’s push for the round of 16.
Borussia Dortmund and Newcastle United hope that the start of the UCL can be a spark that sets each team on the right path forward for the rest of the season. Each team only has one win so far this season, as the 2022-23 Bundesliga runners-up sit ninth in the table, whereas England-side Newcastle are fourteenth in their respective league.
Group G (Manchester City, RB Leipzig, Red Star Belgrade, Young Boys)
Manchester City, the reigning UEFA Champions League winners, UEFA Super Cup winners, Premier League winners and FA Cup winners are looking to claim more hardware this season and should finish first in the group with ease.
Despite Red Star Belgrade’s undefeated season in the Serbian SuperLiga a year ago, German-side RB Leipzig are the favourites to finish second in the group that contains weaker European opposition.
Group H (Barcelona, FC Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk, Antwerp)
Barcelona and FC Porto appear to be heavy favourites to go one and two in the group.
The Spanish side will be salivating at the chance to play weak opponents: Antwerp, who barely squeaked by AEK Athens to qualify for the tournament; and Shakhtar Donetsk who play in a weak Ukranian Premier League.
The key matchup in the group will be on Oct. 4th and Nov. 28th as the 2022-23 La Liga winners battle the fierce Portuguese side, likely for top spot.
For more information on the UEFA Champions League, click here.
*All team stats are as of Thursday, Sept. 14th
