The UEFA Champions League 2022-23 group stage draw grabbed headlines after pitting FC Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan in one group.
Barcelona, Inter and Bayern Munich have been clubbed with Viktoria Plzen in Group C, which is considered as the Group of Death for the upcoming UCL group stage.
It is worth noting that Barcelona and Bayern Munich were drawn together previously in Group E during the UEFA Champions League 2021-22 group stage. Bayern ended up beating the Blaugrana 3-0 in both group games and relegating the Catalans to the Europa League.
Robert Lewandowski, who scored 69 Champions League goals for Bayern Munich between 2014 and 2022, will face his former employers in the UCL 2022-23 group stage.
Inter Milan, who crashed out in the Round of 16, will fancy their opportunity to qualify for the knockout phase.
Another group that football fans must watch out for is Group G. Premier League champions Manchester City have been drawn with Sevilla, Borussia Dortmund and Copenhagen.
Erling Haaland, who joined City from Dortmund earlier this year, couldn’t have asked for an earlier reunion with his former side. Having set the records for the youngest (20 years, 231 days) and the fastest player (14 matches) to score 20 UCL goals while at Borussia Dortmund, all eyes will be fixed on the Norwegian striker to see how he performs against Die Borussen.
Liverpool, who won UCL 2018–19, will play in Group A alongside Ajax, Napoli and Rangers while Chelsea have been drawn with AC Milan, Salzburg and Dinamo Zagreb in Group E.
Group H features Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus while Atlético Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur will be the favourites to qualify from Group B and Group D respectively.
Meanwhile, defending champions Real Madrid will begin their quest for a 15th European crown while taking on the likes of RB Leipzig, Shakhtar Donetsk and Celtic in Group F.
UEFA Champions League 2022-23 group stage draw
Group A: Ajax, Liverpool, Napoli, Rangers
Group B: Porto, Atlético Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Club Brugge
Group C: Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Viktoria Plzeň
Group D: Eintracht Frankfurt, Tottenham Hotspur, Sporting CP, Marseille
Group E: AC Milan, Chelsea, RB Salzburg, Dinamo Zagreb
Group F: Real Madrid, RB Leipzig, Shakhtar Donetsk, Celtic
Group G: Manchester City, Sevilla, Borussia Dortmund, Copenhagen
Group H: Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus, Benfica, Maccabi Haifa
Featured photo: AFP / OZAN KOSE
