Manchester United will meet Bayern Munich in the group stage of the 2023-24 Champions League, while Newcastle United join Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan in a group of death.
The Red Devils sealed their return to the European Cup via a third-placed finish in the 2022-23 Premier League season and will renew hostilities with Bayern 24 years on from their iconic success over the Bavarians in the 1999 final.
Man United also lost to the German champions in the 2013-14 quarter-finals in the most recent clash between the two sides, and the group-stage meetings will also see Harry Kane make his return to English soil to face another club who fought tooth and nail to sign him from Tottenham Hotspur this summer
In addition, Erik ten Hag’s team will also pit their wits against Copenhagen, whom they defeated in a one-legged 2019-20 Europa League quarter-final, and Turkish giants Galatasaray. Meanwhile, Newcastle’s return to the top level of continental football will see Eddie Howe’s men face a baptism of fire, as they meet PSG, Dortmund and Milan in a tantalising Group F.
The showdown with Milan will see new signing Sandro Tonali return to San Siro only a few months after his departure, while in Group B, Arsenal will pit their wits against Europa League holders Sevilla. Mikel Arteta’s team will make their first Champions League appearance since 2016/17 and will face Los Palanganas for the second time since the 2007/08 group stage.
Furthermore, just one year after facing the Dutch giants in the Europa League, the Gunners will once again face PSV Eindhoven, and their last meeting was in the 1999/2000 UEFA Cup semi-final, where France lost in the final. will also play against the newcomer lens of. to Galatasaray.
In Group G, Manchester City are off to a relatively good start to their title defense and are gearing up to face RB Leipzig, Red Star Belgrade and Young Boys in the fall. The triple crown champions remembered last season’s round of 16 win over Leipzig 8-1 on aggregate, before losing 7-0 in the second leg with five goals from Erling Haaland.
Celtic struggled in the group stage as Boyes drew with Dutch champions Feyenoord, Atlético Madrid and Lazio in Group E. Napoli and Real Madrid will face off in two head-to-head matches in Group B, which also includes Portuguese giants Braga and Bundesliga surprise package Union Berlin.
Last year finalists Inter Milan, who lost last season, are in Group D alongside Benfica, Red Bull Salzburg and Real Sociedad, who lost to the Nerazzurri in the quarter-finals last year. F
inally, La Liga champions Barcelona also avoided a difficult draw with Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk and Champions League debutants Royal Antwerp joining the Catalan giants in Group H.
