UEFA Champions League Group G preview: to no one’s surprise, Man. City gets easy draw

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Chelsea supporters walk past a giant replica of the Champions League trophy in downtown Porto, Portugal, Friday, May 28, 2021. English clubs Manchester City and Chelsea will play the Champions League soccer final in Porto on Saturday. (AP Photo/Luis Vieira)

Well, well, well, is it another straightforward draw for Manchester City? Surprising, isn’t it? If there were an ideal draw scenario for Manchester City, it would closely resemble the one they received last month.

The defending champions find themselves pitted against RB Leipzig, a team they dismantled in last season’s round of 16, with Erling Haaland putting on a goal-scoring spectacle by netting five times. While Leipzig still maintains its competitive edge, the loss of their two standout players—defender Josko Gvardiol to Man City and playmaker Christopher Nkunku to Chelsea—has undoubtedly diminished their prowess. In addition to Leipzig, the group features Crvena Zvezda and Young Boys Bern, both of whom are considered among the weaker contenders in this draw.

It’s clear that City has lucked out in this draw, affording Pep Guardiola the flexibility to rotate his squad. The reigning European champions stand an excellent chance of securing a place in the last 16 at an early stage. Even for Leipzig, this draw offers a favorable scenario, considering the quality of the other two teams in the group. The Germans will be optimistic about their prospects of advancing to the knockout rounds.

Champions League Group G to win (via Casino Alpha)
Manchester City -1000
RB Leipzig +650
Crvena Zvezda +6600
Young Boys +6600

Predicted order of finish 

1-Manchester City 

2-RB Leipzig

3-Crvena Zvezda 

4-Young Boys Bern

Full Champions League 2023/24 group stage schedule

(Group G 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)