Champions League 2023-24: All Group Stage Fixtures
- With 53 goals, Erling Haaland emerges UEFA Men’s Player of the Year
BY VICTOR OSOWOCHI –Still mulling over their loss of his signature for the season, Manchester United will now have to settle for facing the English Captain, Harry Kane after being paired against the Bundesliga champions, Bayern Munich in the 2023/24 Champions League Group stage fixtures released by the European Football governing body, UEFA on Thursday.
The Red Devils got a daunting draw on their return to the Champions League and will have to face Bayern in Group A as well as Copenhagen and Galatasaray, while Arsenal, back in Europe’s top flight for the first time in seven years, were handed a relatively easy draw, facing Europa League winners Sevilla, PSV, and Lens in Group B.
No doubt, Manager Mikel Arteta will be quietly happy with the Gunners’ draw, as they make their first Champions League group-stage appearance since 2016/17. Sevilla are canny operators in Europe but PSV and Lens are well beatable.
Christian Pulisic’s AC Milan were placed in what is surely the ‘Group of Death’ and will have their work cut out getting out of a Group F containing Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund, and Newcastle United.
Holders Manchester City were handed a clearly cheap and straightforward draw. They will meet Red Star Belgrade, RB Leipzig, and Young Boys in Group G.
Real Madrid, who have won the competition a record 14 times, were placed in Group C alongside Serie A champions Napoli, Braga and Champions League debutants Union Berlin.
Barcelona, who exited the competition in the group stage in the last two seasons, should fancy their chances of reaching the knockout stage after being placed in Group H with Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk, and Royal Antwerp.
Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola has deservedly been named UEFA Men’s Coach of the Year, However, due to his current recuperation from back surgery, the Spaniard was not present at the ceremony to personally receive the Award. The Women’s Coach of the Year Award went to English woman, Sarina Wiegman. This is the second consecutive such prize for the Lionesses’ Head Coach who took England Women’s National team to Europen glory and the World Cup final.
Norwegian sensational striker, Erling Haaland, with an impressive debut campaign in England in 2022/23, helping Manchester City to a first-ever Champions League crown and treble, beat fellow nominees, Kevin De Bruyne and Lionel Messi to win the UEFA Men’s Player of the Year
Haaland racked up 52 goals in 53 appearances across all competitions, with 12 in 11 in Europe’s premier club competition.
On the women’s side, Alexia Putellas’ two-year reign as the winner came to an end, as fellow Spanish World Cup winner, Aitana Bonmati succeeded her as the UEFA Women’s Player of the Year
Bonmati’s award follows her Golden Ball prize at the World Cup earlier this month, where she struck three goals and assisted two more. She also excelled with the all-conquering Barcelona side last season.
ALL THE GROUPINGS
Group A: Bayern Munich (GER), Manchester United (ENG), Copenhagen (DEN), Galatasaray (TUR)
Group B: Sevilla (ESP), Arsenal (ENG), PSV Eindhoven (NED), Lens (FRA)
Group C: Napoli (ITA), Real Madrid (ESP), Braga (POR), Union Berlin (GER)
Group D: Benfica (POR), Inter Milan (ITA), Salzburg (AUT), Real Sociedad (ESP)
Group E: Feyenoord (NED), Atletico Madrid (ESP), 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), Crvena zvezda (SRB), Young Boys (SUI)
Group H: Barcelona (ESP), Porto (POR), Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR), Antwerp (BEL)
