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What to expect from this year's Champions League
Manchester City's Julian Alvarez, center, celebrates scoring their side's second goal of the game with teammates during the UEFA Champions League Group G match at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester. PA Images/Alamy Images

Champions League preview: What to expect from star-studded tournament

By Alyssa Clang  |  Last updated 9/19/23

The Champions League, which began play Tuesday, is Europe's biggest soccer tournament. Thirty-two teams from across the continent compete to determine who is the strongest. 

Last season, England's Manchester City defeated Italy's Inter Milan in the final for its first Champions League crown.

The tournament starts with a group stage similar to the World Cup. Four teams play each other home and away, with the top two teams advancing to the knockout rounds at the expense of the bottom two. 

Here's a breakdown of how we think the tournament will shake out:

GROUP A: Bayern Munich (Germany), Manchester United (England), FC Copenhagen (Denmark), Galatasaray (Turkey)

When this group was drawn in early September, it felt like a done deal. Bayern and United were the two strongest teams by far and widely expected to advance. 

Bayern has begun its season in imperious style, winning three and drawing one of its German league games, United, meanwhile, has fallen apart. 

Galatasaray is second in the Turkish Süper Lig and its Istanbul stadium is one of the most feared away grounds in Europe. With United floundering, don't count Galatasaray out.

GROUP B: Sevilla (Spain), Arsenal (England), PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands), Lens (France)

Arsenal's long-awaited return to the Champions League has already gotten off to a good start. This group should be workable for the Gunners, with Lens and Sevilla struggling in their domestic leagues and PSV beatable on a good day. 

Keep an eye out for PSV's American fullback Sergiño Dest — he's impressed in his first few games with the Dutch club and has plenty of Champions League experience from his stints with AC Milan and Barcelona.

GROUP C: Real Madrid (Spain), Napoli (Italy), Braga (Portugal), Union Berlin (Germany)

There's a lot to like about this group, with powerhouse Real Madrid, defending Italian champion Napoli and Portuguese giant killer Braga expected to duel for the top spot. 

The real story, however, is plucky underdog Union Berlin. As the first Bundesliga club from the old East Berlin, Union has been battling for space and recognition since its inception. The club was in Germany's second division as recently as 2019 but has charged its way into Europe's elite. 

If it can get a result against a team such as Real Madrid, it'd be the biggest moment in club history. 

GROUP D: Inter Milan (Italy), Benfica (Portugal), Red Bull Salzburg (Austria), Real Sociedad (Spain)

Inter Milan, last year's runner-up, should comfortably win this group. It's the strongest team here by far. Expect the battle for second to be an all-out fight. 

Neutrals have a soft spot for Real Sociedad, which pulled off an impressive fourth-place finish in Spain's La Liga last season to qualify. Regular viewers of the Premier League may recognize Kiernan Tierney, Sociedad's new defender, who joined the team from Arsenal this summer.

GROUP E: Celtic (Scotland), Atletico Madrid (Spain), Feyenoord (Netherlands), Lazio (Italy)

This is one of the most aggressive groups in Champions League history, full of teams famous for their bark and bite. Celtic, Atleti, Feyenoord and Lazio aren't just aggressive on the field. Their fans are notoriously punchy off of it, too, picking fights and attempting to "conquer" away cities by taking over as many pubs as possible. 

Fans of chaos will find this group more entertaining than any other. Fans who relish order should probably look away. 

Atleti is considered the favorite, mostly on the strength of its previous performances, but Feyenoord should not be discounted.

GROUP F: AC Milan (Italy), Newcastle (England), Borussia Dortmund (Germany), PSG (France)

There's always one group in every tournament that's significantly harder than all the rest. Fans christen it the "Group of Death." This group, featuring Italian stalwarts AC Milan, Premier League challengers Newcastle, German legends Borussia Dortmund and French moneymaking machine PSG is the Group of Death to end all Groups of Death. 

Keep an eye on Milan's new American signings Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah, who could be the difference-makers in this tight group.

GROUP G: Manchester City (England), RB Leipzig (Germany), Red Star Belgrade (Serbia), Young Boys (Switzerland)

Defending champions Man City should stroll its way to victory in this easy group. Second place should go to RB Leipzig, the Red Bull-owned team from Germany, but neutrals should keep an eye on Belgrade's Red Star (styled as Crvena Zvezda in Serbia). The team has a long and controversial history in the Champions League. Serbia has been a strong developing ground for attacking talent in recent years.

GROUP H: Porto (Portugal), Barcelona (Spain), Royal Antwerp (Belgium), Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine)

Porto and Barcelona are expected to win this group. Belgium's Royal Antwerp, meanwhile, is languishing at the bottom of its domestic league. 

However, keep an eye on Shakhtar Donetsk, this year's sole Ukrainian entry. The team hasn't been able to play at home since 2017 due to the war with Russia in the Donbas region, but it's still challenging Europe's best in tournaments such as the Champions League. 

Shakhtar will play its home games in Germany for the safety of its players and opponents, and neutrals the world over will be rooting for it to pull off upsets.

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