The Champions League group stage draw takes place today.
Manchester City will again be among the favourites for glory after finally winning the competition last season to put the finishing touches on their treble, as manager Pep Guardiola ended his own drought.
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Perennial winners Real Madrid can never be ruled out and Bayern Munich will fancy their chances after spending more than £100million on Harry Kane.
Arsenal are finally back at Europe’s top table after seven seasons away, and have been tipped for a deep run, and Newcastle are gatecrashers this year after a two-decade-long absence alongside Manchester United and holders City. But so much depends on how the group stage is mapped out in what is the final season before sweeping changes are made to the structure next year. Here’s all you need to know about today’s draw.
When is the Champions League group stage draw?
The draw will take place today on Thursday August 31, 2023, starting at 5pm BST.
Champions League group stage draw pots
Here are the final pots for today’s draw after the dramatic conclusion of qualifying on Wednesday night.
Pot 1: Manchester City, Sevilla, Barcelona, Napoli, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Benfica, Feyenoord
Pot 2: Real Madrid, Manchester United, Inter Milan, Borussia Dortmund, Atletico Madrid, RB Leipzig, Porto, Arsenal
Pot 3: Shakhtar Donetsk, RB Salzburg, AC Milan, Lazio, Red Star Belgrade, Braga, PSV, FC Copenhagen
Pot 4: Newcastle, Union Berlin, Lens, Real Sociedad, Galatasaray, Celtic, Young Boys, Antwerp
How can I watch the Champions League group stage draw?
TV channel: The draw will be broadcast live in the UK on TNT Sport 1, with coverage starting at 4.45pm BST.
Live stream: TNT Sport subscribers can watch the draw live online via the app or website, while the draw will also be broadcast for free via Uefa’s YouTube and social media channels.
Live blog: You can follow the draw as it happens via Standard Sport’s live blog.
When will the Champions League group stage games be played?
Matchday 1: 19/20 September
Matchday 2: 3/4 October
Matchday 3: 24/25 October
Matchday 4: 7/8 November
Matchday 5: 28/29 November
Matchday 6: 12/13 December
