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Champions League group stage: Quick reunions, nightmare groups and an all-British drama

Last updated on .From the section European Footballcomments686

Champions League trophy
The Champions League final will be played in Istanbul on 10 June 2023
Champions League 2022-23
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"The Chaaaaaaaampions..."

It's that time of the year again when that famous anthem starts ringing around stadiums of the elite as the Champions League returns.

The group stage of this season's competition gets under way this week and BBC Sport takes a look at some of the things to watch out for.

Haaland and Lewandowski's quick reunions

Erling Haaland and Robert Lewandowski
Erling Haaland and Robert Lewandowski will face their former clubs in the group stage

Erling Haaland has taken to the Premier League like a duck to water and needed just four games to hit his first hat-trick for Manchester City when they came from behind to beat Crystal Palace last month.

The Norway international left Borussia Dortmund for City in the summer and the Champions League group-stage draw has ensured he has a quick reunion with his former side.

City's first game is at Sevilla this week but next week Dortmund will be the visitors at Etihad Stadium.

Champions League success has eluded City but manager Pep Guardiola is hoping Haaland will continue his super record in European club competitions, having scored 27 goals in 25 appearances for Molde, Salzburg and Dortmund.

Like Haaland, former Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski will also come up against the side he left this summer - in his case, Barcelona.

After hosting Czech side Viktoria Plzen on Wednesday, Lewandowski and Barcelona head to Munich on Tuesday, 13 September. Italian side Inter Milan complete what is comfortably the toughest group in this season's competition.

Lewandowski scored 67 goals in the Champions League for Bayern, but former Liverpool striker Sadio Mane seems to be doing a pretty good job so far of filling the Poland forward's boots, having scored five goals in seven appearances in German league and cup games.

Champions League

England meets Scotland in Group A

One of the most eye-catching draws of the group stage was in Group A, where 2021-22 finalists Liverpool and Scottish side Rangers will face each other.

The two sides will meet for the first time in this season's competition on 4 October at Anfield and then on 12 October at Ibrox.

Rangers' return to the Champions League for the first time since 2010, while they and Celtic are back in it together for the first time since 2007.

Polish fans gets behind Ukraine's Shakhtar

Stadion Wojska Polskiego
Shakhtar Donetsk will play their 'home' games at Legia Warsaw's Stadion Wojska Polskiego in Poland

The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 led to the suspension of all football in the country, but the Ukrainian Premier League returned to action last month and Shakhtar Donetsk are participating in this season's Champions League.

They have been drawn with the defending champions Real Madrid in Group D, along with RB Leipzig and Celtic.

Shakhtar will play their home games in Poland, at Legia Warsaw's Stadion Wojska Polskiego, which is almost 1,000 miles away from Donetsk.

They begin their Champions League campaign at Leipzig in Germany on Tuesday night but their first 'home' game is against Celtic on Wednesday, 14 September, and they are being well backed by Polish fans after 18,000 tickets for the game were sold in one day.external-link

Sparks to fly as PSG and Juve meet?

Paris St-Germain, among the favourites to win the Champions League, go up against Juventus.

Both sides will be wanting to get to the business end of the tournament and, like Haaland and Lewandowski, Juventus winger Angel di Maria will have an early reunion with his former side as he returns to the Parc des Princes on Tuesday.

Di Maria's team-mate and one-time Manchester United target Adrien Rabiot also faces his former club.

Who are favourites to win?

According to data specialists Nielsen Gracenote, Real Madrid are favourites to win this season's Champions League.

Gracenote's Euro Club Index simulations give Real a 21% chance of lifting the trophy next May. Manchester City (20%), Liverpool (19%) and Bayern Munich (10%) are the other main contenders.

There is a 60% chance of Manchester City or one of last season's two finalists, Real Madrid and Liverpool, winning this season's competition.

Simon Gleave, head of sports analysis at Nielsen Gracenote, said: "With the competition not yet under way, Real Madrid, Manchester City and Liverpool already have more than a 90% chance of reaching this season's Champions League knockout phase. Real Madrid's chance of negotiating the group phase is as high as 98% before a ball is kicked.

"Along with that trio, Chelsea, Paris St-Germain, Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich all have more than 80% chance of progressing to the knockout phase."

Gracenote

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686 comments

  • Comment posted by Mark, at 09:18 6 Sep 2022

    This competition only gets going when it reaches the knock out stages. It was so much better when it was the European cup. Every team had a chance of winnig it. Now same teams every year. Also you had to actually have won your league. Money making machine for the elite clubs.

    • Reply posted by ajackson, at 10:10 6 Sep 2022

      ajackson replied:
      It's really enjoyable to watch PSG get dumped out though

  • Comment posted by J3YB, at 06:26 6 Sep 2022

    MCFC have no excuses this time round.

    • Reply posted by Time Barred Skeleton, at 07:44 6 Sep 2022

      Time Barred Skeleton replied:
      Sham Club Have Had NO Excuses Since 2008

  • Comment posted by forestfan, at 09:43 6 Sep 2022

    And the money go round bore fest of the group stages begins.
    Corporate jollies to Salford (sorry not this year) to see the “stars” play against the plucky Czechs/poles/Greeks etc

    Sensational result……

    Bring back the European cup as a knockout

    • Reply posted by Blue Billion Pound Bottle Jobs, at 13:54 6 Sep 2022

      Blue Billion Pound Bottle Jobs replied:
      Ah yes, those truly were the days when the European cup was a straight knockout format. Sadly then money and greed took over.

  • Comment posted by Penelope Poopsalot, at 07:39 6 Sep 2022

    who will win? who, outside those involved, cares?

    • Reply posted by ajackson, at 10:09 6 Sep 2022

      ajackson replied:
      Come on, The Champions League has been great in the past

  • Comment posted by Time Barred Skeleton, at 07:57 6 Sep 2022

    Annoyed Manchester City are allowed in this competion To be honest.

    Not as annoyed as UEFA though.

    • Reply posted by PipPip, at 08:19 6 Sep 2022

      PipPip replied:
      Cry me a river 🤣

  • Comment posted by SpursyBoy, at 13:15 6 Sep 2022

    Viktoria Plzen have 0% chance of winning the Champions League, but more of a chance than Man Utd.

    • Reply posted by Blue Billion Pound Bottle Jobs, at 14:59 6 Sep 2022

      Blue Billion Pound Bottle Jobs replied:
      Fair point.

  • Comment posted by D1683392233331, at 06:09 6 Sep 2022

    Who are the 4% that voted rangers 😂😂

    • Reply posted by crazycristos, at 06:29 6 Sep 2022

      crazycristos replied:
      Obviously Rangers fans

  • Comment posted by D1703156131483, at 12:12 6 Sep 2022

    UEFA if they really wanted a Exciting Champions league/Europa League and the other one. Then they would scrap the Group Stages and have Knock-out football.

    Yes so Real Madrid and PSG might be drawn together and one loses but thats football.

    • Reply posted by IDW, at 13:04 6 Sep 2022

      IDW replied:
      It wouldn't be exciting though would it? Who wants to watch Maccabi Haifa v RB Salzburg in the semi-finals?

  • Comment posted by Winners And Sinners, at 13:56 6 Sep 2022

    I think there could be a surprise winner of this competition this year, someone perhaps like Atletico Madrid or even Man City.

    • Reply posted by I like burping, at 14:00 6 Sep 2022

      I like burping replied:
      Neither of whom would be a surprise, as you know.

  • Comment posted by Oh Danny boy, at 06:56 6 Sep 2022

    All of this just hints at the usual run of drab group games and inevitable knock-out line ups - not worth watching until late March.

    • Reply posted by Windy M, at 07:14 6 Sep 2022

      Windy M replied:
      The group games are the only exciting part. After that it's the same old rich clubs. The 'Champions League' is the richest but most boring of the European tournaments.

  • Comment posted by Changing Times, at 12:38 6 Sep 2022

    Has a Manager EVER had the massive Resources & Failed as much as Guardiola in The Champions League?

    • Reply posted by D1703156131483, at 12:41 6 Sep 2022

      D1703156131483 replied:
      PSG argentina manager and former spurs boss.

  • Comment posted by Jon, at 09:48 6 Sep 2022

    Another yawnfest watching the world’s highest paid primadonnas falling to the ground when they’ve dislocated a shoelace.

    • Reply posted by IDW, at 13:15 6 Sep 2022

      IDW replied:
      There's a women's game on if that's of more interest?

  • Comment posted by red on my sleeve , at 06:17 6 Sep 2022

    Tottenham 2%. Sounds about right 😉

    • Reply posted by Papamahola, at 08:56 6 Sep 2022

      Papamahola replied:
      It's just nice to be in with any sort of chance tbh. Most Spurs fans weren't expecting to be at this stage a few months ago!

  • Comment posted by Bricksnmortar, at 14:00 6 Sep 2022

    My team are never and will never be in this competition, so I don't care who wins it, although I would prefer it if a team which actually won their league and are therefore champions won it I suppose.

    • Reply posted by HeyJudeChants, at 14:05 6 Sep 2022

      HeyJudeChants replied:
      So you just want a competition with 6 or 7 teams in it? Like a super league? So that those teams just get richer and richer and pull even further away from the rest? Sounds a bit dull to me.

  • Comment posted by fair1, at 19:47 6 Sep 2022

    Dinamo Zagreb have just shown why the CL SHOULD be a straight Knockout Tournament!

    Dinamo are unlikely to progress through the group, but in a head to head they may just come out on top!

  • Comment posted by utd fan again, at 17:23 6 Sep 2022

    Will tommy t have another meltdown tonight, or will PEA save him a bottom lip wobbler?

    Honestly, what is it with the fragile east fulham managers??

    Chill-pills at the ready

    • Reply posted by D1681100775274, at 17:26 6 Sep 2022

      D1681100775274 replied:
      It's probably the pressure of spending Billions and realising you've signed kaka...

      Not the player😉

  • Comment posted by This name is awaiting moderation, at 18:11 6 Sep 2022

    Chelsea are losing as we speak.

    • Reply posted by utd fan again, at 18:16 6 Sep 2022

      utd fan again replied:
      Bottom lip wobblin'?

      Tommy's??

  • Comment posted by Changing Times, at 09:31 6 Sep 2022

    Lot of Top Teams on that List.

  • Comment posted by Markyp1965, at 13:54 6 Sep 2022

    Unless your team is involved, it’s hard to get excited about the Champions League at this stage, as it’s become so predictable. The group stage simply ensures that the big teams get games and the draw invariably leads to the same teams progressing to the knock out stage, season after season.
    As others have said, the original format, with an open draw (and the league champions only), far better.

    • Reply posted by G reg white, at 14:01 6 Sep 2022

      G reg white replied:
      European super League is already here!

  • Comment posted by The Spin Doctor, at 13:43 6 Sep 2022

    You know the world has gone mad when more people voted for Spurs than for Real Madrid, PSG and Bayern at the time of writing this post.

    • Reply posted by IDW, at 13:54 6 Sep 2022

      IDW replied:
      Not really though, it's a poll on a British website so why would you be surprised?

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