The 2023-24 Champions League group stage draw has been announced, setting the stage for thrilling match-ups and intense battles on the road to the most coveted trophy in European football. ⚽
In this article, we will analyse the group stage draw, assess the strengths and weaknesses of the teams involved, and consider the outright betting favourites to win the Champions League.
What is the 2023-24 Champions League draw in full?
Group A: Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Copenhagen, Galatasaray
Group B: Sevilla, Arsenal, PSV Eindhoven, Lens
Group C: Napoli, Real Madrid, Braga, Union Berlin
Group D: Benfica, Inter, Salzburg, Real Sociedad
Group E: Feyenoord, Atlético Madrid, Lazio, Celtic
Group F: PSG, Borussia Dortmund, Milan, Newcastle
Group G: Manchester City, RB Leipzig, Red Star, Young Boys
Group H: Barcelona, Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk, Royal Antwerp
On the face of it, Group F looks to be the ‘Group of Death’, with top seeds Paris Saint-Germain set to be pushed hard by Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan and Newcastle, who are making their first appearance in the Champions League for 20 years after finishing fourth in the Premier League last season.
In Group A, Harry Kane returning to Old Trafford with Bayern Munich will provide plenty of interest, while debutants Union Berlin will fancy their chances of causing an upset against the 14-time champions Real Madrid and Serie A winners Napoli in a strong-looking Group C.
The holders Man City should have very few issues in Group G, while Arsenal – who have not competed in the CL for seven years – have also been handed a favourable draw and will be expected to win Group B.
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Who are the outright favourites to win the Champions League?
Unsurprisingly, holders Man City are the leading outright favourites to win the Champions League after finally lifting Europe’s elite competition for the first time in their history by beating Inter Milan 1-0 in June. Pep Guardiola’s side will clearly take some stopping and we make them 3.05 favourites to retain the tournament at the time of writing.
The teams expected to most closely challenge them are Bayern Munich and Real Madrid at odds of 6.40 and 9.00 respectively. Both sides have spent big money on English stars Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham respectively during the summer transfer window, and they possess plenty of know-how at this level having both won this competition recently. There is plenty of value in both of those prices if you want to take Man City on. 💰
Somewhat surprisingly, Arsenal rank fourth in our outright betting market at 11.00, but it may be a little early in Mikel Arteta’s side’s development to expect them to reach the latter stages. Likewise, Man Utd represent something of a longshot at 21.00.
Sandwiched between those two English giants are Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain at 15.00 and 16.00 respectively. There is little doubt that the Spanish and French champions possess star attacking quality in Robert Lewandowski and Kylian Mbappe respectively, but whether their teams are well-rounded enough remains to be seen.
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When will the matches be played?
The Champions League returns to action on Tuesday September 19, with the group stage concluding on Wednesday December 13. The draw for the knockout stage will be made at some point later in December.
The group stage dates are as follows:
- • Matchday 1: September 19/20 2023
- • Matchday 2: October 3/4 2023
- • Matchday 3: October 24/25 2023
- • Matchday 4: November 7/8 2023
- • Matchday 5: November 28/29 2023
- • Matchday 6: December 12/13 2023
The schedule for the knockout stages is as follows:
- • Round of 16: February 13/14/20/21 and March 5/6/12/13 2024
- • Quarter-finals: April 9/10 and 16/17 2024
- • Semi-finals: April 30/May 1 and May 7/8 2024
- • Final: June 1 2024
This season’s final will be played at Wembley Stadium in London, England, on Saturday June 1. This will be the first Champions League final played at Wembley since Bayern Munich defeated Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in an all-German final in 2013.
Here at Premier Bet, we will be running several exclusive promotions during the course of the competition, while offering all of the markets you could wish to bet on all Champions League matches, including our new Bet Builder feature. New Customers can also benefit from our Sports Welcome Bonus, which will at least match your opening deposit!
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