UEFA Champions League 2023-24: All you need to know
The UEFA Champions League 2023-24 season will begin on September 19 and champions Manchester City are the team to watch out for. Matchday 1 of the competition will bring back the excitement with some blockbuster clashes between Manchester United and Bayern Munich in Group A, whereas Borussia Dortmund will face Paris Saint-Germain in Group F. Here are the key details for the upcoming season.
A look at the UCL 2023-24 groups
Group A: Bayern Munich, Manchester United, FC Copenhagen, Galatasaray. Group B: Sevilla, Arsenal, PSV, Lens. Group C: Napoli, Real Madrid, Braga, Union Berlin. Group D: Benfica, Inter, RB Salzburg, Real Sociedad. Group E: Feyenoord, Atletico Madrid, Lazio, Celtic. Group F: Paris Saint-Germain, Dortmund, Milan, Newcastle United. Group G: Manchester City, Leipzig, Crvena zvezda, Young Boys. Group H: Barcelona, FC Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk, Royal Antwerp.
Kane restarts his UCL quest with Bayern
Bayern have made big moves in the summer transfer window but nothing gets bigger than acquiring Harry Kane as their club record signing. The English talisman has joined the club to lead the lines for the Germans and will be crucial in Thomas Tuchel's quest for the Champions League title. He will look to add to his UCL tally of 21 goals.
Holders Manchester City are favourites to win it again
Pep Guardiola's Manchester City are the most equipped team to defend their Champions League crown. They have a prolific goal-scorer in Erling Haaland, who is well supported by a dynamic midfield and they have solidified their defence with the signing of Josko Gvardiol from RB Leipzig. They have also added players like Matheus Nunes, Jeremy Doku, and Mateo Kovacic to add depth.
Robert Lewandowski eyes this landmark; Mbappe close to 50-goal mark
Barcelona will rely on Robert Lewandowski to bang in those goals in the Champions League fixtures. Lewandowski has netted 91 goals in the competition in 111 appearances. He needs nine more goals to be the third footballer with 100-plus UCL goals after Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. PSG's Kylian Mbappe has netted 40 goals in 61 UCL appearances. He is eyeing the 50-goal mark.
Haaland has raced to 35 goals in the Champions League
City's Haaland has already registered 35 goals in 30 UCL appearances and is 19th in the all-time UCL top scorer's list. He has already surpassed legends like Samuel Eto'o, Wayne Rooney, etc. He has scored eight for Salzburg, 15 for Dortmund, and 12 for City.
UCL 2023-24: Live telecast and streaming details
Sony Sports Network will telecast the UCL 2023-24 fixtures live on television in India. Fans can also live stream the fixtures online through the Sony LIV app/website (paid subscription).
Schedule for UEFA Champions League 2023-24
Group stage 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 Knockout phase Round of 16: February 13/14/20/21 and March 5/6/12/13, 2024 Quarter-finals: April 9/10 & 16/17, 2024 Semi-finals: April 30-31 & May 7-8 2024 Final: June 1, 2024
Wembley to host UCL 2023-24 final
The 2023-24 UEFA Champions League season final will be played at London's Wembley Stadium. Wembley will host the European Cup/Champions League final for a record eighth time, and the third in the Champions League era following the 2011 and 2013 finals.
