Newcastle dealt group of death in Champions League draw

The 2023-24 Champions League group stage draw has been made with holders Manchester City heavy favourites to reach the last 16 while Newcastle have been handed a tough set of fixtures.

City beat Inter Milan 1-0 in Istanbul back in June to claim a first European title since their European Cup Winners' Cup success in 1970.

And now they must find their way past RB Leipzig again, who they beat 8-1 on aggregate in the round of 16 last season.

The champions will be joined by Crvena Zvezda and Young Boys in a seemingly straightforward Group G for the Treble winners.

Meanwhile, Newcastle have been presented with a blockbuster group and are set to play Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan in a mouth-watering Group F.

Eddie Howe's men will be up against it but can rely on the St James' Park faithful to make the stadium a fortress when some of Europe's elite come to visit.

Elsewhere, Harry Kane will be returning to England when Bayern Munich face Manchester United in Group A and the Three Lions captain will also be hoping to bag against Copenhagen and Galatasaray. 

Arsenal's anticipated return to the Champions League has set up a dazzling Group B. The Gunners will compete with Europa League victors Sevilla, PSV Eindhoven and Ligue 1 side Lens.

Last season's finalists Inter must overcome Benfica in Group D while Spanish giants Real Madrid will meet Napoli in Group C.

Scottish champions Celtic face a tough start to their campaign and will lock horns with Feyenoord, Atletico Madrid and Lazio while LaLiga holders Barcelona must tackle Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk and Antwerp in Group H.

2023-24 Champions League draw in full

Group A

Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Copenhagen, Galatasaray

Group B

Sevilla, Arsenal, PSV Eindhoven, Lens

Group C

Napoli, Real Madrid, Braga, Union Berlin

Group D

Benfica, Inter Milan, FC Salzburg, Real Sociedad

Group E

Feyenoord, Atletico Madrid, Lazio, Celtic

Group F

Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan, Newcastle

Group G

Manchester City, RB Leipzig, Crvena Zvezda, Young Boys

Group H

Barcelona, Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk, Antwerp

When will the Champions League group stage take place?

Each team will play six group games, facing their trio of opponents both home and away.

The first round of fixtures will commence in the middle of September and end three months later in December.

Key dates for your diary

Matchday 1: September 19-20 

Matchday 2: October 3-4 

Matchday 3: October 24-25 

Matchday 4: November 7-8 

Matchday 5: November 28-29 

Matchday 6: December 12-13