Source: Associated Press
Summary
Paris Saint-Germain will face Manchester City and Barcelona in the Champions League group stage, following the 36-team draw. PSG has won three straight matches against Barcelona, including a 2-1 victory in October 2022. Real Madrid will host Inter Milan and play at Arsenal and Shakhtar Donetsk. Barcelona will face Manchester City and Aston Villa, as well as Como, coached by Cesc Fabregas. Bayern Munich will face Manchester United and travel to Norway. Newcomers Como, LASK, Viking, and Sabah will debut in the competition. Sabah’s coach, Valdas Dambrauskas, gained attention for his background, including winning money on a TV quiz show. Yaya Touré, a former player, will lead Slovan Bratislava in the group stage.
Our Reading
This one felt recognizable early.
PSG’s draw brings back old enemies and new ones. Barcelona’s run against them is over. City and Man United are always in the mix.
Real Madrid’s schedule has the usual suspects. Bayern’s trip to England is expected. Dortmund’s Arctic journey is a novelty.
Newcomers like Como and Sabah are in the mix. Their stories are already being told.
The Champions League is still the same game, just with different names on the back of the jerseys.
Author: Evan Null
PSG’s Return to Barcelona
Paris Saint-Germain will face Barcelona again in the Champions League group stage. The French team has won three straight matches against the Spanish side, including a 2-1 victory in October 2022. This is the first time PSG has played Barcelona since the infamous 6-1 loss in 2017, known as the “Remontada” game.
Real Madrid’s Challenging Schedule
Real Madrid will host Inter Milan and travel to London for matches against Arsenal and Shakhtar Donetsk. The Ukrainian team will play home games at Stamford Bridge, where José Mourinho had a successful stint with Chelsea. Madrid’s schedule is filled with high-profile matches and challenging trips.
Bayern Munich’s English Opponents
Bayern Munich will face Manchester United in the group stage, adding to their already tough schedule. The German team will also travel to Norway for matches against Bodø/Glimt and Viking. Their journey to the Arctic Circle is a unique challenge for the Bundesliga champions.
Newcomers in the Champions League
This season, four new teams will debut in the Champions League: Como from Italy, LASK from Austria, Viking from Norway, and Sabah from Azerbaijan. Sabah, founded in 2017, is making its debut in the competition. Their coach, Valdas Dambrauskas, gained attention for his unusual background, including winning money on a TV quiz show.
Yaya Touré’s New Role
Former Manchester City and Barcelona star Yaya Touré will lead Slovan Bratislava in the group stage. This is the first time an African coach has taken a team into the main phase of the Champions League. Slovan will face PSG and host Inter Milan in their group matches.
