Sports Regiment

Get ready for the Champions League draw of the 2023/24 season! It’s all happening on Thursday, August 31, at 6:00 PM CEST in Istanbul, Turkey. Five Spanish teams that made it to the group stage are about to find out who they’ll be facing in this top-tier European club showdown. Don’t miss out – catch the live stream on UEFA.com¹.

So, the pots for the draw are set based on those UEFA club scores and how well the teams did in the qualifiers. In pot one, Spain’s got two strong contenders: Europa League conquerors Sevilla and La Liga champs Barcelona. Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid are repping in pot two, while Real Sociedad is hanging out in pot four. And here’s the lineup for each pot²:

– Pot 1: We’ve got Manchester City (ENG, Champions League titleholders), Sevilla (ESP, Europa League champs), Barcelona (ESP), Napoli (ITA), Bayern Munich (GER), Paris Saint-Germain (FRA), Benfica (POR), and Feyenoord (NED).
– Pot 2: It’s Real Madrid (ESP), Manchester United (ENG), Inter Milan (ITA), Borussia Dortmund (GER), Atletico Madrid (ESP), RB Leipzig (GER), Porto (POR), and Arsenal (ENG).
– Pot 3: Watch out for Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR), Salzburg (AUT), AC Milan (ITA), Braga (POR), PSV Eindhoven (NED), Lazio (ITA), Crvena zvezda (SRB), and Copenhagen (DEN).
– Pot 4: Here’s where we’ve got Young Boys (SUI), Real Sociedad (ESP), Galatasaray (TUR), Celtic (SCO), Newcastle United (ENG), Union Berlin (GER), Antwerp (BEL), and Lens (FRA).

Here’s the scoop on how it’s gonna roll: Each group will have one team from each pot. But hold up – no facing off with a fellow countrymate or someone from the same pot. Oh, and to make sure paired clubs from the same nation get their own days in the spotlight, the eight groups are gonna be split by color. Groups A to D are rockin’ the red, while Groups E to H are reppin’ the blue³.

Now, let’s break it down for the Spanish squads. The difficulty’s gonna vary based on the pot and possible rivals. Sevilla and Barcelona, as the top dogs, won’t have to deal with big shots like Manchester City, Bayern Munich, PSG, or Napoli.

But they’ve still gotta watch out for some powerhouses from pot two, like Real Madrid, Manchester United, Inter Milan, or Borussia Dortmund. And yeah, they might even end up clashing with some tricky teams from pots three or four, like AC Milan, Lazio, Galatasaray, or Newcastle.

Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, second in command, are crossing their fingers not to get matched up with the real heavyweights from pot one – think Manchester City, Bayern Munich, or PSG. They might catch a break with Benfica or Feyenoord, who aren’t as fierce as the other pot one champs. But let’s not forget, they could also end up in a showdown with some strong contenders from pots three or four, like AC Milan, Lazio, Galatasaray, or Newcastle.

Real Sociedad, the underdogs in pot four, are in for the toughest test. They’re gonna face one top-seeded team from pot one and one second-seeded team from pot two. And guess what? They could also tango with a tough squad from pot three, like AC Milan, Lazio, or PSV Eindhoven. Fingers crossed they score a favorable team from pot three and dodge the big shots from pots one and two.

Hold tight, because the Champions League group stage is kicking off on September 19 and 20 and wrapping up on December 12 and 13. The top two teams from each group are moving on to the round of 16, while the third-place squads are sliding down to the Europa League round of 32. The grand finale is set for June 1, 2024, at Wembley Stadium in London. Get ready for a wild ride!