Carlo Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola are both known to love a Cuban cigar as part of a trophy celebration. In May it was the Italian coach of Real Madrid with cause to light his favourite stick, as he guided the legendary Spanish club to their 14th and his sixth (two as player, four as a manager) success in the competition. Last Thursday saw the groups drawn for this year’s edition of the greatest tournament in club football, and fans across the world were engrossed whether their team was involved or not. The appeal of the UEFA Champions League is immense, and this year’s groups have delivered all the intrigue and potential drama we would hope for.
The 2022/23 season sees the first stage of the competition truncated to accommodate the FIFA World Cup in November; as a result, group stage matches will take place over a period of 9 weeks instead of the usual 12. Left unchanged was the UEFA seeding process, which sees teams allocated to Pot 1 depending on which competition they won to qualify, as opposed to their own recent history in European games. This practice leads to the second and third tiers being peppered with teams whose recent pedigree arguably warrants higher placing, resulting in group stage ties which may resemble semi-finals of just a few years ago. Here we present just a few of the potential highlights ahead.
Manchester City v Borussia Dortmund
Almost as soon as he left, Erling Haaland will be making his way back to Dortmund as his new employers face his old ones. The fact that Dortmund were placed with the third seeds for this draw shows the strength of the field, as they are a fine team even without the prodigious Norwegian and his astonishing scoring record. The Ivorian Sebastian Haller was brought in to replace him, after an impressive 47 goals in 66 games across 2 years at Ajax, but has been tragically forced to battle cancer before even making his debut. In his absence the team have begun their Bundesliga season well, despite shipping 3 goals in the last 6 minutes against Werder Bremen to surrender a 2-0 lead and lose the match. They will provide a stern test for Guardiola’s Manchester City juggernaut – especially in front of their famous Yellow Wall at the Westfalen Stadion – despite City themselves beginning the season in imperious form. A 3-3 draw in their last match took a bit of the shine off Haaland’s arrival, but by the time matches against the Germans roll around they should be in full swing.
Can Celtic produce a shock against the holders?
Celtic v Real Madrid
Five long years have passed since we got to hear the famous Champions League anthem at Celtic Park, and its return is welcomed with open arms. Every set of fans in the world says that their home atmosphere is the best, but there really is something incomparable about Glasgow’s East End on a European night, and if you don’t trust my bias (which is probably fair enough) Messi, Xavi, and the legendary Paolo Maldini are just three of the visiting opponents who share my opinion. Pick of the ties for our triumphant (hopefully) return to Europe’s top table is clearly the return of Real Madrid – vanquished here 2-0 on their only previous competitive visit, back in 1980, and reigning champions of the competition. The dangers posed by Kroos, Modric, Benzema, Vinicius Jr, Hazard (if he’s ever fit again) are plain for all to see, but under the lights of Paradise, with 60,000 passionate Glaswegians roaring their support – you just never know. Barcelona fell victim in 2013, perhaps their great rivals will this year. Keep an eye on Kyogo Furuhashi – brought to Europe from Japan by Celtic manager Big Ange Postecoglu, his movement is sharp and energetic and his finishing composed. He could well be the man to bring a famous victory to Glasgow.
The attacking talent in Group C is extraordinary
Group C
Every year has a Group of Death, and this year it’s Group C – 3 former winners in Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Inter Milan are joined by the minnows of Viktoria Plzen. The Czech champions are appearing in the groups for only the third time and have a largely unknown, domestic squad; by contrast, all three of their opponents have gargantuan budgets, medals throughout the squad and some of the most high-profile players in the game on their books. Pick of the ties is probably those between Bayern and Barca, given the recent humiliation handed to the Catalans by Bavaria’s finest and the fact that Polish striker Robert Lewandowski has since chosen to leave the former for the latter. He has been replaced in Munich by Sadio Mane, another of the planet’s top strikers, and the battles between these 2 venerable clubs look to be the highlight of the group stages. Inter Milan, with their line led by Argentina’s Lautaro Martinez and the returning Romelu Lukaku, have started their Serie A campaign with 2 wins, and will fancy their chances of springing an upset against either of the 2 favourites. Plzen, meanwhile, will be looking to give a good account of themselves in games they are expected to lose, and hope for enough points to sneak into third place, with its Europa League parachute.
Ajax will look to prove they deserve their top-seed status
Ajax v Liverpool
As Dutch champions, Ajax ended up as top seeds despite having a coefficient score lower than the eventual Pot 2 team in the group, Liverpool. Their match against last year’s beaten finalist should be an interesting one, as they seek to prove their position as top seeds in the group is warranted. Despite manager Erik ten Hag departing for Manchester United after winning the league last year, they have begun this campaign with a 100% record and invested in the squad to maintain the standards he set. Their capture of promising left-back Calvin Bassey from 2022 Europa League runners-up, Rangers, is of particular note as they £25 million they paid for his signature has funded the summer rebuild of Scotland’s second club, who now find themselves in Ajax’s group. Stephen Bergwijn, arriving from Tottenham, was the only player whose services cost more than Bassey; they will look to this pair for energy and creativity down their left flank.
Whichever game your eye is on, the Champions League rarely serves up a dud (with the possible exception of the 2003 final). When that famous tune rings out, magic happens – light a cigar and settle down to watch.