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It may feel like just yesterday that Manchester City hoisted the Champions League trophy into the air for the first time in their history but already, the competition has hurtled back around again with the group stage to get underway next month.
The very best clubs in European football will eagerly await the outcome of the draw on Thursday evening in Monaco, with the glitz and the glamour of the ceremony’s pomp officially firing the starting pistol on the scramble to reach the final.
As usual, there will be 32 teams seeded into four pots for the group stage draw. They will then be arranged into eight groups of four teams.
The first set of fixtures will begin on September 19/20, later than last season due to there being no World Cup hiatus, before the last-16 is held in February and March.
POT ONE
Manchester City
City’s barren streak in the biggest club competition of them all was finally brought to an end last season.
It was far from easy, with Inter Milan putting up a superb fight in the final, but City got the job done courtesy of Rodri’s second-half winner.
They cruised through the first round, having topped their tricky group, and went on to beat RB Leipzig, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid on their way to the final hurdle in Istanbul.
Their hard-fought triumphs over Bayern and Madrid showcased their ever-growing pedigree on the European stage and the trophy secured them the Treble.
DANGER RATING – 5/5
Sevilla
What began as a poor season for Sevilla last year ended in yet another piece of European silverware courtesy of their Europa League success. They make up part of Pot One in this week’s draw despite their lowly 12th-placed finish in LaLiga.
Clearly, Jose Luis Mendilibar, the club’s third boss of the campaign and the man responsible for steering them to their memorable victory over Roma in Budapest, placed all of his eggs in one particular basket and the approach paid off handsomely.
They are currently in something of a crisis, however.
Bottom of the Spanish top-flight and rumoured to have placed a host of their first-team squad on the transfer market due their debts, it would take a miracle for Mendilibar to drag Sevilla to any form of glory in the Champions League this time.
DANGER RATING – 2/5
Barcelona
Heavyweights Barcelona won LaLiga last year, their first league title since 2019, and will hope their success signals the beginning of a period of domination.
Their on-pitch success continues to be overshadowed by their financial headache away from it, however, with the club still saddled by jaw-dropping amounts of debt.
As a result, they are yet to splash the cash this summer and have in fact recruited just three players. Two of them, Ilkay Gundogan and Inigo Martinez, joined as free agents while midfielder Oriel Romeu arrived from Girona for around £3million.
Boss Xavi will hope to mould his squad of exquisite talents and raw academy products into a juggernaut capable of breezing through the knockout rounds.
DANGER RATING – 3/5
Napoli
Fresh from securing a third Serie A title last season but losing head coach Luciano Spalletti to a surprise sabbatical, optimism is abound at Napoli.
Rudi Garcia is the latest man at the helm and he undoubtedly has big shoes to fill, especially given Spalletti’s success on both the domestic and international stages.
But after a summer of changes, Napoli look equipped to fight across multiple fronts once again. Crucially, they have won their opening two league matches this year.
Having gone 33 years without success in the Italian top-flight, they will now set their sights on shaking up the pack in the Champions League, which they have never won.
DANGER RATING – 3/5
Bayern Munich
They may be dominant in the Bundesliga, despite needing a final day win to clinch the title last season, but Bayern Munich continue to shoot themselves in the foot.
Julian Nagelsmann, of course, was ruthlessly handing his marching orders in March and replaced by Thomas Tuchel, who has failed to win over demanding matchgoers. He has been criticised for rigid, inflexible displays and questionable tactics.
But regardless, he has a strong squad at his disposal. Harry Kane arrived from Tottenham in a sensational £100m deal and he will slot straight in as their first-choice No 9, flanked by the likes of Jamal Musiala, Serge Gnabry and Leroy Sane.
They have won their first two league matches this season but lost in the DFB-Pokal, with RB Leipzig emerging victorious and marring Kane’s much-awaiting debut.
DANGER RATING – 4/5
Paris Saint-Germain
The death knell for any PSG manager is failure in the Champions League and Luis Enrique will be under no illusions that the same mountain faces him this season.
He picked up the baton after Christophe Galtier was dismissed at the end of the last campaign and must find a way to gel Kylian Mbappe and his unruly team-mates into a cohesive band capable of performing as a collective, rather than individuals.
Mbappe will now remain put despite his insistence that he would not sign a new contract, a stance that once again alerted Real Madrid, and they have recruited well.
Indeed, the likes of Ousmane Dembele, Goncalo Ramos, Xavi Simons, Marco Asensio, Milan Skriniar and Manuel Ugarte are shrewd, cost-effective acquisitions.
DANGER RATING – 4/5
Benfica
Under the impressive Roger Schmidt, Benfica won the Primeira Liga and made impressive in-roads in the Champions League, reaching the quarter-finals.
Their form was particularly notable in light of the sheer length of their season, which began in early August in the third qualifying round for the European competition.
Angel Di Maria returned to the club this summer after leaving Juventus and turning down a multitude of other offers, while Benfica also spent money wisely.
They have been strengthened by the arrivals of Orkun Kokcu, Arthur Cabral and Andrea Schjelderup in particular and will look to impose themselves again this year.
DANGER RATING – 2/5
Feyenoord
Arne Slot has made no secret of his excitement for this year’s Champions League.
It is difficult to blame him, too, considering he is the man responsible for leading Feyenoord to the promised land after only their second Eredivisie title in a century.
Slot turned down interest from Tottenham ahead of the new season to remain in place in Holland and he will be targeting yet another shock on the European stage.
They have been reluctant to throw huge sums at players, preferring instead to be frugal in their spending, and currently sit sixth in the league on five points.
DANGER RATING – 1/5
POT TWO
Arsenal
After a lengthy six-year wait, Arsenal can finally relish the prospect of competing in the Champions League once again this campaign.
Having finished second in the Premier League, an agonising feat after their dominance over the division for much of the season, they secured a spot in Pot Two as a result of their UEFA club coefficient, meaning they will face a side from Pot One.
Mikel Arteta will be eager to bring an end to his side’s woes in Europe and has strengthened effectively this summer in a bid to bring about more competition.
Indeed, Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, Jurrien Timber and David Raya are their big-name additions to date, with Rice in particularly an eye-catching poach from West Ham. With a strong squad at his disposal, Arteta is under pressure to perform.
DANGER RATING – 3/5
Real Madrid
The undisputed kings of Europe and footballing royalty, and they will unsurprisingly be among the firm favourites to lift the jug-eared cup again this season.
In the past, when they hit their usual lofty heights, it truly felt like no team could stand in their way. This time, however, a swashbuckling Manchester City topped them on their way to the crown last season and they slumped to second in LaLiga.
By the end of the campaign, Real trailed Barcelona by a whopping 10 points, with their vulnerability and creaking squad composition beginning to shine through.
This may well prove to be Carlo Ancelotti’s final campaign at the helm and one last hurrah in the Champions League would be a fitting farewell for ‘Don Carlo’.
DANGER RATING – 5/5
Manchester United
Back at the top table after their third-placed finish in the Premier League last season, Manchester United will be hopeful of progressing to the latter stages again.
Just like Arsenal, they will be drawn alongside a difficult opponent from Pot One but will regardless still be among the favourites to make it out of their group.
Erik ten Hag has been able to spend money once again this summer despite United being hamstrung by Financial Fair Play restrictions and disrupted by a takeover saga.
Mason Mount, Rasmus Hojlund and Andre Onana have all arrived for handsome figures so far, but each look ready to propel United into the knockouts.
DANGER RATING – 3/5
Inter Milan
Simone Inzaghi may have been unable to lead Inter Milan to another Serie A title, but he deserves plenty of credit for building the foundations for future success.
There was a time that he appeared on the brink of the sack last season but he continued to work diligently and these efforts bore fruit in superb fashion, with Inter reaching the Champions League final and losing out after a heroic performance.
This year, they will hope to challenge for the Serie A title, clinch a cup and progress again in Europe, though reaching the final for a second straight year looks difficult.
Again, they have reinforced smartly and kept the bulk of their squad together.
DANGER RATING – 3/5
Borussia Dortmund
The memories from the dramatic final day showdown in the Bundesliga will surely still haunt Edin Terzic, his players and supporters even to this day.
Borussia Dortmund held their destiny and the fate of the title race in their hands but squandered it, with their home draw capitalised upon by Bayern Munich.
Terzic will have emphasised the importance of drawing a line under the saga, however, and another shot in the Champions League will lift spirits somewhat.
They will do so without Jude Bellingham after his switch to Real Madrid but have moved smartly in the transfer market to strengthen key holes in their squad.
DANGER RATING – 2/5
Atletico Madrid
Last season proved to be one of Diego Simeone’s most disappointing at the helm.
They clawed themselves to a third-placed finish in LaLiga despite a mixed first half of the campaign and finished just a point behind city rivals Real Madrid. They fell horribly short in the Copa del Rey and the Champions League, however.
The latter proved a body blow, with their finish at the bottom of a group made up of Porto, Club Brugge and Bayer Leverkusen dropping them out of Europe entirely.
Aside from their opening group game, they failed to win any of their other five matches. Simeone will demand a substantial improvement this time around.
DANGER RATING – 3/5
RB Leipzig
Despite looking set to challenge Bayern Munich’s dominance at the top of the Bundesliga, RB Leipzig were once again forced to settle for a spot behind the league champions and also-rans Borussia Dortmund last season.
They enjoyed success in the DFB-Pokal, however, and finished as the runners-up in the DFL-Supercup, proving they can, and will, challenge for domestic trophies.
But Leipzig have struggled to replicate this in Europe, despite enjoying a number of shock past results over some of the Champions League’s heavyweights. This year, they look a formidable unit and will hope to become one of the surprise packages.
Already this season, they have beaten Bayern Munich to clinch silverware and this may bode well for the rest of the campaign under talented boss Marco Rose.
DANGER RATING – 2/5
Porto
They may have won three separate domestic trophies last season but missing out on the Primeira Liga title will have hurt Porto and head coach Sergio Conceicao.
Led expertly by renowned goal scorer Mehdi Taremi, Porto are a team capable of beating anyone on their day and they have been tipped for success again this year.
While yet to splash the cash despite the transfer deadline rapidly approaching, Conceicao has recruited a handful of promising players with high talent ceilings.
His varied squad holds the potential to go far on several fronts and the Champions League knockout stages will certainly be in their sights over the coming months.
DANGER RATING – 2/5
POT THREE
Shakhtar Donetsk
With the war in Ukraine still raging, the Ukrainian Premier League, which remains on track against the odds, continues to provide spectators with welcome relief.
Shakhtar Donetsk are the reigning champions in the division and are currently top of the tree once again, one point clear after their first five games.
Their squad was significantly weakened last summer after a host of their high-profile foreign players moved on, but they have superbly rebuilt their side this year.
Head coach Patrick van Leeuwen, who was appointed earlier this year, has a talented squad at his disposal and he will be targeting an array of shock results in Europe.
DANGER RATING – 1/5
Red Bull Salzburg
Powered to the Austrian Bundesliga title last season by top scorer Benjamin Sesko and head coach Matthias Jaissle, it has been a summer of change for Salzburg.
That is because Sesko has departed, having moved to RB Leipzig, while Jaissle, one of the most highly-rated coaches in the game, has taken up Saudi Arabian riches.
Nevertheless, they still resemble a strong, tightly-knit unit this season and will be the favourites for the league title, which they have dominated over the past 20 years.
The likes of Mads Bidstrup and Aleksa Terzic have arrived from Brentford and Fiorentina respectively, and Gerhard Struber has been hired as Jaissle’s successor.
DANGER RATING – 2/5
AC Milan
Despite reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League, last season petered out into a mild disappointment for AC Milan and boss Stefano Pioli.
The previous campaign saw them scale the heights of Serie A and win their 19th league title, their first since 2011, but they were unable to build on their success.
A year on, they finished fourth domestically, six points clear of fifth, lost in the Supercoppa Italiana final and were dumped out in the last 16 of the Coppa Italia.
Piolo does appear to have now steadied the ship and, despite Sandro Tonali to Newcastle, lured the likes of Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Christian Pulisic to Milan.
DANGER RATING – 3/5
Lazio
It would be fair to say that Maurizio Sarri has settled nicely into his surroundings at Lazio after his rocky rollercoaster journeys with Chelsea and Juventus.
The club are sufficiently ambitious to match his vision for the future and his squad are hungry, making them open to his demanding tactical instructions.
Last season, they were the closest challenger to Serie A champions Napoli and were hopeful of transferring this to their Europa League adventure.
But they were unable to do that, leading to an ultimately mixed season.
DANGER RATING – 2/5
Red Star Belgrade
Serbian heavyweights Red Star Belgrade are once again right in the thick of the action at Europe’s top table, exactly where a club of their stature should be.
They sealed a spot in the Champions League after being crowned champions of the SuperLiga, their sixth consecutive league title, and did so in style.
Now with Barak Bakhar in charge, with Dejan Stankovic and Milos Milojevic having departed in recent years, Red Star will hope to spring some seismic shocks.
Widely understood to be the most popular team in Serbia, Red Star possess a talented squad and look equipped to hold their own in the group stage.
DANGER RATING – 1/5
Braga
Another club that endured a mixed campaign last time out, Braga will be among the group of underdogs hoping to valiantly punch above their weight this year.
They finished third in the Primeira Liga last season and mounted charges in the Taca de Portugal and Taca da Liga. They had little to show for these efforts, however.
In theory, a visit to the Estadio Municipal de Braga will be a daunting prospect for clubs in the group stage, rendering them a potential banana skin this campaign.
They began the season with a win and a defeat in their opening two league games.
DANGER RATING – 1/5
PSV Eindhoven
It is 35 years since PSV won the European Cup with a penalty shootout victory over Benfica in 1988.
But this marks the first time they have made the knockout stages of the tournament since the 2018-19 campaign.
The Dutch side knocked out Rangers in the play-off stage thanks to a 5-1 second-leg win, ending Scottish hopes of having two teams at this stage of the tournament.
Despite losing Cody Gakpo and Noni Madueke in January to Liverpool and Chelsea respectively, PSV will be hoping that they have enough to cause a shock and reach the last-16 of the tournament for the first time since the 2015-16 campaign.
DANGER RATING – 2/5
Copenhagen
The Danish champions are back in the Champions League for the second season in a row and will be hoping to get a win in the groups unlike last season.
They have had a busy route to get this far with two-legged ties against Icelandic side Brieoablik, Sparta Prague and Polish side Rakow Czestochowa.
Their tie with Sparta Prague was particularly tough – only advancing via a penalty shootout.
Having competed in the group stage last season, they will be hope to use that experience to their favour this time around – though a better draw would help.
DANGER RATING – 1/5
POT FOUR
Newcastle
For the first time in two decades, the hallowed Champions League anthem will ring out around St James’ Park this season. It is a tantalising prospect for supporters.
Indeed, not since the glory days of Sir Bobby Robson and Alan Shearer have Newcastle qualified for the most elite club competition in world football.
But thanks to the stellar coaching of Eddie Howe and his superb squad, the Magpies will compete in Europe once again under the floodlights, starting from next month.
They look more than capable of holding their own, too, with Sandro Tonali, Harvey Barnes, Lewis Hill and Tino Livramento bolstering Howe’s group this summer.
DANGER RATING – 2/5
Union Berlin
Nobody expected this, let alone the most diehard of Union Berlin matchgoers.
After finishing fourth in the Bundesliga last season, following years of gradual progression up the German top-flight, Union qualified for the Champions League.
The achievement is the very first of its kind in their history, reflecting the superb work of boss Urs Fischer, and already preparations for the tournament are underway.
It has been confirmed that Union, who typically play at the 22,000 capacity Stadion An der Alten Forsterei, will host European matches at Berlin’s Olympiastadion.
DANGER RATING – 1/5
Lens
It is exceeding difficult to shake up the order in Ligue 1 – unless you’re Lens, that is.
Just three years ago, they were in Ligue 2 and dreaming of a fairytale. Last season, though, they snatched it with both hands and finished second in Ligue 1.
That, of course, secured them a spot in the Champions League and the 3-0 win over Ajaccio that sealed their success was greeted with the competition’s anthem.
Fittingly, Lens have remained true to their mining heritage and they are a club firmly embedded into their local community. Their taste of glory is richly merited.
DANGER RATING – 2/5
Real Sociedad
A superb 2022-23 campaign that saw Real Sociedad finish fourth in LaLiga clinched a spot in the Champions League for the first time since 2013-14.
In fact, since the European Cup was reborn in its current format in 1992, Sociedad have qualified just twice – the other achievement coming in 2003-04.
This time around, there was no play-off required. Instead, they are safe in the knowledge that they can now mount a real challenge in the group stage.
Sociedad will prove a tough opponent for anyone, owing to the defensive solidity of Imanol Alguacil’s system and their potent creativity in the forward areas.
DANGER RATING – 2/5
Celtic
It proved impossible for Celtic to keep hold of the much-fancied Ange Postecoglou after their sensational Treble last season, with Tottenham luring him this summer.
Courtesy of their Scottish Premiership victory, which saw them finish seven points ahead of Rangers, Celtic once again reached the Champions League group phase.
But they will step into the competition with a new man, albeit one with a familiar face, at the helm – with Brendan Rodgers back in charge for his second spell.
Celtic have again splashed out on an array of exciting additions to strengthen Rodgers’ hand and they will now want to make a belated mark on European football.
DANGER RATING – 1/5
Galatasaray
Last season may have seen Galatasaray lift their 24th Super Lig title, but their recent history suggests reigning over in the Turkish top-flight is anything but plain sailing.
They were forced to wait four years between their last two triumphs, with several of their rivals usurping them during their period of turbulence and disappointment.
Under Okan Buruk’s steady hand, though, Galatasaray have been revitalised. Nonetheless, they were made to qualify for the Champions League the hard way.
They progressed through three separate qualifying rounds, beating Zalgiris, Olimpija Ljubljana and Molde along the way, to officially place their name in the hat.
DANGER RATING – 2/5
Young Boys
The Swiss side are back in the Champions League after a season away, after finishing 16 points clear of the competition to win their domestic title.
Though they are a side the top teams in the competition would like to be drawn against, they have pulled out some big results in the recent past.
They beat Italian giants Juventus in the group stage back in 2018 and then picked up a famous 2-1 victory against Manchester United three years later.
The Swiss side eased into the group stage after a 3-0 aggregate play-off victory over Maccabi Haifa.
DANGER RATING – 1/5
Royal Antwerp
The Belgian side have made the group stage for the first time in their history.
It is just their second time in Europe’s most prestigious competition with their one and only previous participation coming in 1958 when they suffered an 8-1 aggregate defeat to Real Madrid in the first round.
Following a 1-1 draw at home against AEK Athens, many expected the Greek side to make the group stage.
However, two goals in the final 20 minutes saw Antwerp reach the group stage.
They will be the biggest underdogs in their group, regardless of who they draw, but it is an experience they will relish and one they hope will be the first of many trips to the Champions League