Image displays the Champions League flag.

Libby Hooper

Setting up top-flight European group fixtures and rewarding successes of last season, the 2023/24 Champion’s League season kicks off! Here’s the rundown of what took place at the Champion’s League group draw last month in Monaco. 

The UEFA awards

Men’s player of the Year: Erling Haaland  

Few players can say that they’ve won the treble. But, having pocketed the English Premier League title, Champions League title and FA Cup, Erling Haaland can. Across all competitions, the Norwegian scored 52 goals in 53 games – leading him to win the award ahead of fellow shortlisted players Messi and teammate Kevin de Bruyne.  

Women’s player of the year: Aitana Bonmati 

Having won the Women’s Champions League title with Barcelona last season, Bonmati takes the award. The midfielder won the World Cup with Spain this year, and was named Player of the Tournament, topping her superb season. This continues the success of Barcelona’s women’s team, with teammate Alexia Putellas having won the award in both 2022 and 2021.  

Men’s Coach of the year: Pep Guardiola  

Responsible for managing Manchester City’s treble, it comes without surprise that Guardiola won this award. City scored an astounding 151 goals across all competitions last season, losing only ten games domestically. Though City’s first ever UCL victory was their highlight of the season, Guardiola’s achieved his third UCL title in his career so far.  

Women’s coach of the year: Sarina Wiegman  

Winning two years in a row, Wiegman has much to be praised for. Following successes with the England women’s team at the 2022 Euros, the Lionesses were taken to the final of the 2023 Women’s World Cup, losing out to the Spanish side Wiegman dedicated her award to. This was a particularly impressive feat considering the number of injuries this England squad faced over the summer.  

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What can we expect from this season’s Champion’s League Group Draws?

Group A: Bayern Munich, Manchester United, F.C. Copenhagen, Galatasaray

“A replay of the historic Bayern Munich v Manchester United 1999 UCL final”

Set up for a replay of the historic Bayern Munich v Manchester United 1999 UCL final, this quartet is one to watch. Though, this is not a two-horse race – Turkish side Galatasaray have proved dangerous with their excellent home form, and could potentially unsettle pundit expectations. Copenhagen are predicted to fall bottom of the group, having salvaged only one win in eight games during their last European campaign.

Group B: Sevilla, Arsenal, PSV, Lens  

Following their six-year absence, Arsenal sees a soft return to the UCL. While PSV beat the Gunners in their last Europa campaign, Arsenal has seen extensive development in their squad and tactical quality under the management of Mikel Arteta. Sevilla, despite frequent Europa victories, are yet to find success in the Champion’s League. Lens, having lost their key goalscorer Lois Openda, also fail to pose a threat. This has left the London club unmatched in this group, despite lacking recent top-flight European experience. 

Group C: Real Madrid, Napoli, Braga, Union Berlin  

“…for the smaller clubs, their focus will be to secure a spot in the Europa League”

A tough group for UCL debutants Union Berlin, going up against Italian champions Napoli and 14-time Champion’s League title-holders Real Madrid. For both Braga and Union Berlin, going against the Spanish and Italian giants is certain to be a tough battle. This means that for the smaller clubs, their focus will be to secure a spot in the Europa League.  

Group D: Inter Milan, Benfica, Salzburg, Real Sociedad  

Inter Milan are thought to have the upper hand in this competitive group – with both their strong domestic start and their recent success in reaching the Champion’s League final last season. However, Benfica have strengthened their squad this summer – signing the Men’s World Cup winner Ángel Di María from PSG. Salzburg are also not to be underestimated, having a notoriously tough home atmosphere to conquer. With Real Sociedad also being more than capable of upset, it is difficult to predict how this group will finish. 

Group E: Atlético Madrid, Feyenoord, Lazio, Celtic  

Despite their subpar European form, Atlético Madrid remain favourites to top this group, with Lazio having a poor domestic season, and Feyenoord lacking European experience. Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic squad are expected to be the main challengers to the Spanish side. Their particularly impressive home form will be a tough hurdle to overcome for the other Group E clubs. 

Group F: PSG, Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan, Newcastle United 

“The ‘Group of Death’  packed with European titans”

Group F sees a nightmarish return to the UCL for Newcastle United, being thrust into the ‘Group of Death’ packed with European titans. Howe and his men must prep for the intense football in this group, facing PSG superstar Kylian Mbappé as well as AC Milan’s new attacking talent Christian Pulisic. History of success runs deep in this group, though Borussia Dortmund is arguably the weakest of the quartet, and could be seen coming fourth. 

Group G: Manchester City, RP Leipzig, Red Star Belgrade, Young Boys  

The titleholders Manchester City are set to have an easy progression into the round of sixteen. Leipzig lost 7-0 to the English champions last season, and have lost key players such as Gvardiol or Nkunku over the summer. This makes it difficult to see any club other than Manchester City topping the group. Leipzig, however, does benefit from this draw, with weaker sides Young Boys and Belgrade almost guaranteeing them progression into the next round.  

Group H: Barcelona, Porto, Shaktar Donetsk, Antwerp   

Barcelona is expected to dominate this group, looking to prove themselves following previous European failures. At the bottom, we will likely see Belgian title-holders Antwerp, making their first appearance in this league since the 1950s. They are expected to be joined by Donetsk, who have seen a strong start domestically. While the Ukrainian side is lacking European success, they could cause issues if their momentum continues.

A Season to Watch 

This campaign sees huge Champion’s League returns, replaying of historic fixtures, and exciting clubs making their debut. Who progresses into the next round is something only time will tell. Though one thing is for sure: there are stellar fixtures to come!

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Featured image courtesy of Valeri Parkhomenko on Flickr. No changes were made to this image. Image license found here. 

Animal lover, football enthusiast, and Sociology student at the University of Cambridge.

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