Upon their much-anticipated return to the Champions League, Newcastle United found themselves confronted with an incredibly challenging draw. Group F, the stage for their campaign, featured European powerhouses Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund, and AC Milan – a trio of formidable adversaries that would test the Magpies’ mettle.
“This is just about as tough a group as possible for the Magpies in their return to the Champions League,” a Vegas Insider spokesperson said.
The draw ceremony, held in Monaco and marking the final season of the competition in its existing configuration, also revealed intriguing matchups for other English clubs. In Group A, Manchester United was pitted against Bayern Munich, led by the prolific Harry Kane, in what promises to be an electrifying clash. The group also included Turkish champions Galatasaray, and a notable subplot emerged as new signing Rasmus Hojlund would face his former team, Copenhagen.
Arsenal, on the other hand, was set to face tough challenges in their group, drawing Europa League victors Sevilla, along with PSV Eindhoven and Lens. Meanwhile, reigning champions Manchester City secured a seemingly more favorable group, squaring off against RB Leipzig, Young Boys, and Red Star Belgrade.
In a parallel narrative reminiscent of Newcastle’s draw, Scottish champions Celtic, also positioned in pot four, seemed to have landed a relatively gentler draw compared to their English counterparts. Their opponents included Feyenoord, Atletico Madrid, and Lazio, offering a potentially smoother path through the group stage.
As the stage was set for the upcoming battles, these intriguing draws sparked discussions and debates among football enthusiasts worldwide, underscoring the allure and excitement that the Champions League never fails to deliver.
Here is the Champions League group stage draw in full:
Group A: Bayern Munich, Manchester United, FC Copenhagen, Galatasaray
Group B: Sevilla, Arsenal, PSV Eindhoven, RC Lens
Group C: Napoli, Real Madrid, Braga, Union Berlin
Group D: Benfica, Inter Milan, FC Salzburg, Real Sociedad
Group E: Feyenoord, Atletico Madrid, Lazio, Celtic
Group F: Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan, Newcastle United
Group G: Manchester City, RB Leipzig, Red Star Belgrade, Young Boys
Group H: Barcelona, Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk, Royal Antwerp
What are the Champions League group stage dates?
Matchday 1: 19/20 September 2023
Matchday 2: 3/4 October 2023
Matchday 3: 24/25 October 2023
Matchday 4: 7/8 November 2023
Matchday 5: 28/29 November 2023
Matchday 6: 12/13 December 2023
Odds to win 2023-24 UEFA Champions League
(Odds via https://casinoalpha.com/)
- Manchester City +225
- Bayern Munich +500
- Real Madrid +800
- Arsenal +1000
- Barcelona +1400
- Paris Saint-Germain +1600
- Manchester United +1600
- Newcastle United +2000
- Napoli +2500
- Borussia Dortmund +3300
- Atletico Madrid +3300
- Inter Milan +3300
- AC Milan +4000
- RB Leipzig +5000
- Benfica +6600
- Sevilla +6600
- Lazio +8000
- FC Porto +10000
- Real Sociedad +10000
- Union Berlin +10000
- Feyenoord +10000
- Lens +10000
- Celtic +15000
- FC Salzburg +15000
- Shakhtar Donetsk +15000
- Crvena Zvezda +25000
- Galatasaray +25000
- Braga +25000
- PSV +50000
- Rangers +50000
- AEK Athens +100000
- FC Copenhagen +100000
- Panathinaikos +100000