UEFA Champions League Group Stage draw 2023/24 simulated as City facing club they wanted to avoid

Manchester City will discover their UEFA Champions League Group Stage opponents later this month, as they compete in the competition as holders for the first time.

City won the tournament last season as part of their historic treble when they beat Inter Milan 1-0 in the final.

City are in pot one alongside Barcelona, Bayern Munich, PSG, Sevilla, Napoli, Benfica and Feyenoord.

Ahead of the imminent return of the UEFA Champions League, here is everything you need to know about the upcoming Group Stage draw for the 2023/24 season.

When is the UEFA Champions League Group Stage draw?

The draw for the UEFA Champions League Group Stages takes place on Thursday 31st August at 17:00 BST live from Monaco.

What are the pot allocations for UEFA Champions League Group Stage draw?

Pot One: Manchester City, Sevilla, Barcelona, Napoli, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Benfica, Feyenoord.

Pot Two: Real Madrid, Manchester United, Inter Milan, Borussia Dortmund, Atletico Madrid, RB Leipzig, Porto, Arsenal.

Pot Three: Shakhtar Donetsk, Red Bull Salzburg, AC Milan, Lazio, Red Star Belgrade, Braga, FC Copenhagen, PSV Eindhoven.

Pot Four: Young Boys, Real Sociedad, Galatasaray, Celtic, Newcastle United, Union Berlin, Antwerp, Lens.

Who are Manchester City’s potential opponents?

Pot Two: Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Borussia Dortmund, Atletico Madrid, RB Leipzig, Porto.

Pot Three: Shakhtar Donetsk, Red Bull Salzburg, AC Milan, Lazio, Red Star Belgrade, Braga, FC Copenhagen, PSV Eindhoven.

Pot Four: Young Boys, Real Sociedad, Galatasaray, Celtic, Union Berlin, Antwerp, Lens.

Champions League draw simulated

Manchester Evening News have simulated the Champions League draw ahead of the real thing on Thursday evening, and it wasn’t great news for City.

Group A: Barcelona, Porto, Shakhtar, Galatasaray.
Group B: PSG, Manchester United, AC Milan, Real Sociedad
Group C: Bayern Munich, Arsenal, PSV Eindhoven, Young Boys
Group D: Napoli, Leipzig, Braga, Antwerp
Group E: MANCHESTER CITY, Real Madrid, Lazio, Lens
Group F: Feyenoord, Atletico Madrid, Salzburg, Union Berlin
Group G: Sevilla, Inter, FC Copenhagen, Celtic
Group H: Benfica, Dortmund, Red Star Belgrade, Newcastle

Of all the teams City will have wanted to avoid, Madrid will have been top of the list. The Blues may well have dismantled them on their way to the trophy last season but Real remain a high class outfit steeped in European history and with the signing of Jude Bellingham, are arguably stronger this time around.

Italian side Lazio have begun the Serie A season poorly but finished second to Napoli last season. French outfit Lens are the weakest side in the competition according to the UEFA co-efficient and are yet to win in their domestic league so far this term and would surely be no match for Pep Guardiola’s side.