CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Who are Real Madrid’s possible rivals in the Champions League group stage?

The group stage draw for the 2023-24 UEFA Champions League gets underway in Monaco on Thursday evening.

MIGUEL RIOPA | AFP

Irish native who switched from the music industry to the world of sport moving from Universal Music to AS in 2017. A keen runner, soccer player and now discovering the world's fastest growing sport of padel. A fútbol fanatic covering LaLiga, MLS, Liga MX and other offbeat stories from the global game. Can always be found rooting for the underdog.

Update: Aug 30th, 2023 07:11 EDT

Following Wednesday’s Champions League playoff round games, we will then know the names of the final three teams that will make up the 32 sides who will participate in the 2023-24 season Champions League with the group stage draw scheduled for Thursday evening.

Braga, Galatasaray & Young Boys in the group stage 👏👏👏

🔮 Who will join them? #UCL pic.twitter.com/vNvRykCRhq
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) August 29, 2023

Following aggregate wins on Tuesday night, Braga, Galatasaray and Young Boys all confirmed their places in the group stage with just three places left to fill.

Wednesday’s UCL playoff fixtures

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

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

Real Madrid’s possible rivals

Carlo Ancelotti’s team are the highest ranked side in pot 2 after finishing as runner-up in LaLiga last season. This does mean that a tough pot 1 opponent awaits and this could be one of: Man City, PSG, Bayern Munich, Napoli Benfica or Feyenoord.

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 an undesired destination. Salzburg, Shakhtar or Braga would be more palatable options for ‘Los Blancos’ from pot 3.

Who are Real Madrid’s possible rivals in the Champions League group stage? — Red Star

Pot 4 teams to avoid for Madrid 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 favorable opponents for the Santiago Bernabeu faithful.