Group C in the UEFA Champions League appears to be one of the most lopsided, with Italian champions Napoli and Spanish giants Real Madrid standing out as clear favorites, leaving Braga and newly-debuting Union Berlin with a formidable challenge ahead. Braga, while finishing a distant third in the Primera Liga last season behind the Portuguese powerhouses Benfica and Porto, managed to secure Portugal’s final Champions League berth by edging out Sporting. Union Berlin, on the other hand, achieved an impressive fourth-place finish in the Bundesliga just four years after their promotion to Germany’s top division for the first time.
In the face of European heavyweights like Real Madrid and Napoli, the odds appear stacked against Braga and Berlin. Their battle for third place in the group takes on added significance, as it grants access to the knockout stages of the Europa League. The gap in experience and pedigree is evident, but in football, surprises are always possible, and both Braga and Union Berlin will be eager to seize any opportunity to upset the balance in this intriguing group.
Champions League Group C odds to win (via OLBG)
Group C
Real Madrid -188
Napoli +225
Braga +1200
Union Berlin +1200
Predicted order of finish
1-Real Madrid
2-Napoli
3-Union Berlin
4-Braga
Full Champions League 2023/24 group stage schedule
(Group C matches in bold)
Matchday 1
19 September
AC Milan vs Newcastle (12:45)
Young Boys vs Leipzig (12:45)
Feyenoord vs Celtic (3:00)
Lazio vs Atlético de Madrid (3:00)
Paris vs Dortmund (3:00)
Man City vs Crvena Zvezda (3:00)
Barcelona vs Antwerp (3:00)
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Porto (3:00)
20 September
Galatasaray vs Copenhagen (12:45)
Real Madrid vs Union Berlin (12:45)
Bayern vs Man United (3:00)
Sevilla vs Lens (3:00)
Arsenal vs PSV Eindhoven (3:00)
Braga vs Napoli (3:00)
Benfica vs Salzburg (3:00)
Real Sociedad vs Inter (3:00)
Matchday 2
3 October
Union Berlin vs Braga (12:45)
Salzburg vs Real Sociedad (12:45)
Man United vs Galatasaray (3:00)
Copenhagen vs Bayern (3:00)
Lens vs Arsenal (3:00)
PSV Eindhoven vs Sevilla (3:00)
Napoli vs Real Madrid (3:00)
Inter vs Benfica (3:00)
4 October
Atlético de Madrid vs Feyenoord (12:45)
Antwerp vs Shakhtar Donetsk (12:45)
Celtic vs Lazio (3:00)
Dortmund vs Milan (3:00)
Newcastle vs Paris (3:00)
Leipzig vs Man City (3:00)
Crvena Zvezda vs Young Boys (3:00)
Porto vs Barcelona (3:00)
Matchday 3
24 October
Galatasaray vs Bayern (12:45)
Inter vs Salzburg (12:45)
Man United vs Copenhagen (3:00)
Sevilla vs Arsenal (3:00)
Lens vs PSV Eindhoven (3:00)
Braga vs Real Madrid (3:00)
Union Berlin vs Napoli (3:00)
Benfica vs Real Sociedad (3:00)
25 October
Feyenoord vs Lazio (12:45)
Barcelona vs Shakhtar Donetsk (12:45)
Celtic vs Atlético de Madrid (3:00)
Paris vs Milan (3:00)
Newcastle vs Dortmund (3:00)
Leipzig vs Crvena Zvezda (3:00)
Young Boys vs Man City (3:00)
Antwerp vs Porto (3:00)
Matchday 4
7 November
Dortmund vs Newcastle (12:45)
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Barcelona (12:45)
Atlético de Madrid vs Celtic (3:00)
Lazio vs Feyenoord (3:00)
Milan vs Paris (3:00)
Man City vs Young Boys (3:00)
Crvena Zvezda vs Leipzig (3:00)
Porto vs Royal Antwerp (3:00)
8 November
Napoli vs Union Berlin (12:45)
Real Sociedad vs Benfica (12:45)
Bayern vs Galatasaray (3:00)
Copenhagen vs Man United (3:00)
Arsenal vs Sevilla (3:00)
PSV Eindhoven vs Lens (3:00)
Real Madrid vs Braga (3:00)
Salzburg vs Inter (3:00)
Matchday 5
28 November
Lazio vs Celtic (12:45)
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Antwerp (12:45)
Feyenoord vs Atlético de Madrid (3:00)
Paris vs Newcastle (3:00)
Milan vs Dortmund (3:00)
Man City vs Leipzig (3:00)
Young Boys vs Crvena Zvezda (3:00)
Barcelona vs Porto (3:00)
29 November
Galatasaray vs Man United (12:45)
Sevilla vs PSV Eindhoven (12:45)
Bayern vs Copenhagen (3:00)
Arsenal vs Lens (3:00)
Real Madrid vs Napoli (3:00)
Braga vs Union Berlin (3:00)
Benfica vs Inter (3:00)
Real Sociedad vs Salzburg (3:00)
Matchday 6
12 December
Lens vs Sevilla (12:45)
PSV Eindhoven vs Arsenal (12:45)
Man United vs Bayern (3:00)
Copenhagen vs Galatasaray (3:00)
Napoli vs Braga (3:00)
Union Berlin vs Real Madrid (3:00)
Inter vs Real Sociedad (3:00)
Salzburg vs Benfica (3:00)
13 December
Leipzig vs Young Boys (12:45)
Crvena Zvezda vs Man City (12:45)
Atlético de Madrid vs Lazio (3:00)
Celtic vs Feyenoord (3:00)
Dortmund vs Paris (3:00)
Newcastle vs Milan (3:00)
Porto vs Shakhtar Donetsk (3:00)
Antwerp vs Barcelona (3:00)
