Holders Real Madrid get a relatively easier draw in the group stage for the UEFA Champions League 2022-23 but returning Barcelona found themselves in the 'group of death.' (More Football News)
Last season's Champions League finalists Liverpool also get a tough draw while Manchester City will have Borussia Dortmund in the group stage as Erling Haaland in a fixture which could get tasty. Lionel Messi's Paris Saint-Germain, still coveting a first Champions League title, will have Juventus in their group
A total of 32 teams, including six qualifiers via 'Champions Path' and 'League Path', will compete in the Champions League 2022-23 proper. Eintracht Frankfurt, the UEFA Europa League champions, are making their group stage debut. This is the first time that five German clubs are in the group stage of the Champions League.
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Besides Real Madrid, other previous winners in the draw: AC Milan, Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Ajax, Internazionale, Juventus, Benfica, Chelsea, Porto, Celtic, Marseille, and Borussia Dortmund.
And the previous finalists: Atletico Madrid, Eintracht Frankfurt, Brugge, Bayer Leverkusen, Tottenham Hotspur, PSG and Manchester City.
The draw for the group stage of the 2022-23 Champions League took place on August 25 (Thursday) at the Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey. The final is scheduled for June 10, 2023 at the same venue.
UEFA Champions League 2022-23, group stage draw
Group A: Ajax, Liverpool, Napoli, Rangers;
Group B: Porto, Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Club Bruges;
Group C: Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Viktoria Plzen;
Group D: Eintracht Frankfurt, Tottenham, Sporting Lisbon, 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, FC Copenhagen;
Group H: Paris St-Germain, Juventus, Benfica, Maccabi Haifa.
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UEFA Champions League 2022-23 schedule
UEFA Champions League 2022-23 group stage will be completed in a nine-week window, as against the usual three months, to accommodate the so-called winter World Cup in Qatar. The first matchday is on September 6 (Tuesday), and the scheduled kick-off times are 18:45 and 21:00 CET/CEST.
Matchday 1: September 6 and 7;
Matchday 2: September 13 and 14;
Matchday 3: October 4 and 5;
Matchday 4: October 11 and 12;
Matchday 5: October 25 and 26;
Matchday 6: November 1 and 2.
And next year...
Round of 16, first leg: February 14 and 15; March 7 and 8;
Round of 16, second leg: February 21 and 22; March 14 and 15.
Quarter-finals: April 11 and 12 (first legs); April 18 and 19 (second legs).
Semi-finals: May 9 and 10 (first legs); May 16 and 17 (second legs).
Final: June 10, 2023.
The four pots were, just in case
Pot 1: Real Madrid, Eintracht Frankfurt, Manchester City, AC Milan, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint Germain, Porto, Ajax;
Pot 2: Liverpool, Chelsea, Barcelona, Juventus, Atletico Madrid, Sevilla, RB Leipzig, Tottenham Hotspur;
Pot 3: Borussia Dortmund, Salzburg, Shakhtar Donetsk, Internazionale, Napoli, Benfica, Sporting Lisbon, Bayer Leverkusen;
Pot 4: Rangers, Marseille, FC Copenhagen, Club Bruges, Celtic, Viktoria Plzen, Maccabi Haifa, Dinamo Zagreb.
