CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Who are Barcelona’s possible rivals in the Champions League group stage?
The Catalan giants are in pot 1 ahead of the 2023-24 Champions League group stage draw on Thursday.
By the end of Wednesday night, we will know the names of the 32 sides that will be involved in the 2023-23 Champions League group stage draw that takes place in Monaco on Thursday evening.
Sporting Braga, Galatasaray and Young Boys cemented their places with wins on Tuesday night at the expense of Panathinaikos, Molde and Maccabi Haifa respectively and will be joined by the winners from Wednesday’s final trio of play off games.
Champions League playoff games
AEK Athens (Greece) vs Antwerp (Belgium), 1-0 on agg.
PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands) vs Rangers (Scotland), 2-2 on agg.
Copenhagen (Denmark) vs Raków Częstochowa (Poland), 1-0 on agg.
UCL group stage (23-24) already qualified teams
England: Manchester City, Arsenal, Manchester United, Newcastle United
Spain: Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid, Real Sociedad, Sevilla
Italy: Napoli, Lazio, Inter, Milan
Germany: Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, Union Berlin
France: Paris Saint-Germain, Lens
Portugal: Benfica, Porto, Braga
Netherlands: Feyenoord
Ukraine: Shakhtar Donetsk
Austria: FC Salzburg
Scotland: Celtic
Serbia: Red Star Belgrade
Turkey: Galatasaray
Switzerland: Young Boys
FC Barcelona’s possible rivals
Winning LaLiga last season sees Barcelona secure a place in pot 1 ahead of the draw and this ensures that Xavi’s side will avoid the likes of heavyweights such Man City, Bayern Munich and PSG.
Pot 2 does throw up a series of tricky opponents and the Catalan side will be anxious to avoid the likes of Man United, Inter Milan and Arsenal with RB Leipzig and Porto seen by fans as more palatable opposition.
At the moment given that there are still three spaces to fill, the teams composing pots 3/4 are not yet confirmed but potential tricky rivals in pot three include AC Milan or Lazio with a trip to the hostile Red Star Belgrade always an undesired destination. Salzburg, Shakhtar or Braga would be more less complicated options for the reigning LaLiga champions from pot 3.
Pot 4 teams to avoid for Barcelona would be the, reinforced by Saudi riches Newcastle United and Galatasaray with a trip to Istanbul always tricky. Opponents such as Celtic, Lens or Young Boys would be considered as more favorable opponents for the azulgrana faithful.
FC Barcelona: possible group of death:
FC Barcelona, Man United, Lazio, Galatasaray
FC Barcelona: possible group of ‘relative’ tranquility
FC Barcelona, RB Leipzig, Shakhtar, Celtic