Newcastle have been handed a stern test on their return to the Champions League, while Manchester United will take on Bayern Munich in the Champions League Group Stage in Group A and holders Man City take on RB Leipzig in Group G.
The draw for the 2023-24 Champions League took place on Thursday night in Monaco, with all 32 qualifiers learning their fates for the upcoming competition.
With all of the continent’s biggest sides in action, it is sure to be a tough competition for all clubs, but Group F is arguably the ‘group of death’, which sees Paris Saint-Germain take on Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan and Premier League side Newcastle.
Manchester City will have a relatively straight-forward Group G to negotiate, alongside RB Leipzig, Red Star Belgrade and Young Boys, while arch-rivals United take on Bayern Munich, Copenhagen and Galatasaray.
Last season’s Premier League runners-up Arsenal were handed a comfortable draw against Europe League champions Sevilla, PSV Eindhoven and Lens in Group B on their return to the competition after a six-year absence.
The competition’s record winners, Real Madrid, came out of Pot 2 to be picked against Serie A holders Napoli in a mouth-watering clash, with Braga and Union Berlin making up the quartet in Group C.
Scottish champions Celtic will take on Spanish giants Atletico Madrid, Eredivisie holders Feyenoord and Italian outfit Lazio in Group E.
Xavi’s Barcelona were first into Group H, where they find Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk and debutants Royal Antwerp.
Last year’s finallists Inter Milan were in the second pot, and went into Group D, where they find Portuguese champions Benfica, Austria’s RB Salzburg and Real Sociedad.
Spain were represented by five teams, with Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Real Sociedad joined by Sevilla after they won the Europa League, easing out Jose Mourinho’s Roma in the final.
It is a quick return to England for Harry Kane, who left Tottenham for Bayern Munich in a huge £100million deal.
However the England skipper will soon find himself back in his home nation, making the trip to Old Trafford as part of Thomas Tuchel’s side’s group stage campaign.
Aside from Newcastle’s unofficial ‘Group of Death’, Man United arguably have the toughest task of the English contingent, coming up against Bayern Munich in a replay of the iconic 1999 final.
And for Copenhagen it is the second competition in a row where they will find themselves making the trip to Manchester un the group stages, having come up against City last term.
Man City once again find themselves in Group G for the second successive season but will also face Leipzig for the fifth and sixth times in the competition since September 2021.
Following the group stage draw, UEFA’s player and coach of the season awards were handed out, with Pep Guardiola and Erling Haaland receiving gongs, as well as Spanish World Cup winner Aitana Bonmati and Lionesses boss Sarina Wiegman.
The England manager gave an impassioned speech after receiving her award, commenting on the ongoing ‘kissgate’ scandal that has seen Spanish FA president Luis Rubiales come under heavy pressure after kissing Jenni Hermoso on La Roja’s historic success in Australia.
Group Stage draw in full
Group A
Bayern Munich (Ger), Manchester United (Eng), Copenhagen (Den), Galatasaray (Tur)
Group B
Sevilla (Spa), Arsenal (Eng), PSV Eindhoven (Net), Lens (Fra)
Group C
Napoli (Ita), Real Madrid (Spa), Braga (Por), Union Berlin (Ger)
Group D
Benfica (Por), Inter Milan (Ita), RB Salzburg (Aus), Real Sociedad (Spa)
Group E
Feyenoord (Net), Atletico Madrid (Spa), Lazio (Ita), Celtic (Sco)
Group F
Paris Saint-Germain (Fra), Borussia Dortmund (Ger), AC Milan (Ita), Newcastle (Eng)
Group G
Manchester City (Eng), RB Leipzig (Ger), Red Star Belgrade (Ser), Young Boys (Swi)
Group H
Barcelona (Spa), Porto (Por), Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukr), Royal Antwerp (Bel)
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