Champions League group stage draw LIVE: Real Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea, Liverpool & more learn opponents

UCL group stage draw in full

The 2021-22 UEFA Men's Player of the Year has gone to Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema, who scored 15 goals in 12 games for the Blancos en route to their latest Champions League triumph.

MEN'S PLAYER OF THE YEAR GOES TO BENZEMA

Barcelona star Alexia Putellas has earned the UEFA Women's Player of the Year award for the second successive season, having helped her club land three domestic trophies in 2021-22.

PUTELLAS SCOOPS WOMEN'S PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti has been named UEFA Men's Coach of the Year after guiding the Blancos to a Champions League and La Liga double.

ANCELOTTI WINS MEN'S COACH OF THE YEAR

England's Euro 2022-winning manager Sarina Wiegman has picked up the UEFA Women's Coach of the Year award!

WIEGMAN WINS WOMEN'S COACH OF THE YEAR

Group C certainly wins the title of Group of Death this season, with Barca, Bayern and Inter all competing for knockout stage berths alongside underdogs Viktoria Plzen.Liverpool have also landed a tough group alongside Ajax, Napoli and Rangers in Group A.

WHO WAS DRAWN IN THE GROUP OF DEATH?

Which is the toughest group in this season's Champions League?

2022-23 UCL GROUP STAGE DRAW COMPLETE ☑️

BAYERNBARCAINTER VIKTORIA PLZEN

GROUP C

PSGJUVENTUSBENFICAMACCABI HAIFA

GROUP H

MILANCHELSEASALZBURGDINAMO ZAGREB

GROUP E

AJAXLIVERPOOLNAPOLIRANGERS

GROUP A

PORTOATLETICOLEVERKUSENCLUB BRUGGE

GROUP B

MAN CITY SEVILLADORTMUNDCOPENHAGEN

GROUP G

FRANKFURT TOTTENHAMSPORTING MARSEILLE

GROUP D

REAL MADRID LEIPZIGSHAKHTAR CELTIC

GROUP F

The 2022-23 Champions League draw has begun...stay tuned for all the latest updates!

The draw is officially underway!

That concludes GOAL'S coverage of the 2022-23 Champions League draw.Can anyone stop Madrid from landing a 15th title?Join us again when the group stage action gets underway on September 6!

That's all for tonight folks!

2020-21 winners Chelsea won't have it easy in Group E alongside Milan, Salzburg and Dinamo, but will be hot favourites to progress.Tottenham will also be expected to make it through Group D, but Europa League winners Frankfurt will surely provide a stern test home and away.Sporting and Marseille won't be pushovers either, with Antonio Conte facing a tough task to emulate Mauricio Pochettino's class of 2019 and take Spurs all the way through to the final.

Will Chelsea & Spurs fancy their chances?

GOAL's Manchester City correspondent Jonathan Smith: "As it stands going into the final year of his contract, this is Pep Guardiola’s last chance of winning the Champions League trophy and he can be more than happy with the group stage draw. "Manchester City avoided all the heavyweights available from pot two, drawing Sevilla - the weakest of the three Spanish sides they could have faced.&nbsp; "Borussia Dortmund cannot be taken lightly but won’t be quite as fearsome now that their danger man Erling Haaland will be lining up for the two games in a sky blue shirt. Avoiding either of the Glasgow teams is also a bonus with FC Copenhagen undoubtedly the underdogs in Group G. "Guardiola won’t take his opponents likely, but it would be a huge shock if City failed to reach the knockout stages for his seventh, and what could be his last year, in charge."

'This is Pep's last chance'

GOAL's Liverpool correspondent Neil Jones: "It could have been easier, but Liverpool fans will surely be looking at that Champions League draw with relish. Sure, none of those away trips are easy. Ajax, Napoli and Rangers are all clubs renowned for the red-hot atmosphere their fans create on home soil. All three will be tough, though we can expect Reds supporters to travel in huge numbers, particularly to Amsterdam and Glasgow. "Napoli, in particular, look a force to be reckoned with this season, and beat Liverpool at this stage in both 2018 and 2019. They were one of the stronger Pot Three teams, and one Jurgen Klopp would have preferred to have avoided, for sure. "But on the flip side, Liverpool will feel they got one of the better Pot One sides in Ajax, who may well lose key players before the transfer window closes, and they will back themselves to overcome Rangers, whatever kind of noise Ibrox makes. "The games come thick and fast, starting in a couple of weeks’ time. Liverpool won all six of their group games last season, securing qualification with two to spare. If they were to repeat that this season, then they’ll have done extremely well."

Liverpool 'will relish' blockbuster Group A draw

Spurs have been joined by Sporting in Group D, while Shakhtar are in Madrid's Group F.

Sporting in Group D, Shakhtar in Group F

Atletico, Porto and Leverkusen now make up an incomplete Group B.

Leverkusen in Group B

Dortmund join City and Sevilla in Group G.

Dortmund land in Group G

Benfica will play PSG and Juventus in Group H.

Benfica in Group H

Chelsea and Milan welcome Salzburg into Group E.

Salzburg in Group E

Liverpool and Ajax have been joined by Napoli in what is shaping up to be a very tough Group A!

Napoli enter Group A

Porto have been joined in Group B by Atletico Madrid.

Atletico to play Porto

Huge draw in Group C as Bayern have been joined by Spanish giants Barca.

BAYERN VS BARCA

Sevilla have been entered into Group G alongside Manchester City.

Sevilla and Man City paired together

Liverpool and Ajax will do battle in Group A.

Liverpool draw Ajax in Group A

Tottenham have been handed a tough match up against Frankfurt in Group D.

Spurs to face Frankfurt

Italian giants Juventus land in Group H to set up a couple of intriguing games against PSG.

Juventus vs PSG!

RB Leipzig have been drawn in Group F alongside Real Madrid.

Leipzig join Madrid in Group F

Manchester City have been named in Group G and PSG are last up in Group H.

Man City & PSG complete the first set of Group teams

2021-22 Scudetto winners Milan are in Group E, while Champions League holders Real Madrid are in Group F.

Milan and Real Madrid also drawn

Europa League winners Eintracht Frankfurt are the first team in Group D.

Frankfurt learn their fate

Six-time winners Bayern Munich have been drawn in Group C.

Bayern up next

Portuguese champions Porto are next up in Group B.

Porto lead Group B

Dutch champions Ajax land in Pot 1.

Ajax first out of the hat!

Only eight sides have managed to win all six of their group stage games, with Madrid and Bayern the only teams to repeat the feat.Perfect Champions League group stage seasons: <ul><li>Milan (92/93) </li><li>PSG (94/95) </li><li>Spartak Moscow (95/96) </li><li>Barcelona (02/03) </li><li>Real Madrid (11/12) </li><li>Real Madrid (14/15) </li><li>Bayern (19/20) </li><li>Bayern (21/22) </li><li>Ajax (21/22) </li><li>Liverpool (21/22) </li></ul>

How many teams have had perfect group stage records?

Former Milan manager Arrigo Sacchi has picked up the UEFA President's Award!The president of Europe's elite competition, Aleksander Ceferin, has said of the 2022 winner: "This award recognises professional excellence and furthermore, it honours the legacy left by exceptional individuals in the game of football. "Very few people have reshaped the philosophy of the game in the way that Arrigo Sacchi has managed, so that the sport itself can be observed in two eras – pre- and post-Sacchi. "The endless tactical innovations he introduced are today the foundations of any footballing playbook, mirrored by generations of coaches who have followed."

Arrigo Sacchi wins UEFA President's Award

Celtic captain Callum McGregor ahead of the draw: "We've played quite a few big teams, but probably the one most fans would like is Real Madrid."I've not played against them yet, but we know anybody we get drawn against will be a top team and a big challenge for us."

Celtic captain McGregor: We want Real Madrid!

Cristiano Ronaldo is the highest-scoring player in Champions League history with 140 goals to his name from 182 appearances across spells at Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus.Six of those efforts came in his homecoming 2021-22 season at United, but they have not qualified for the latest edition of the competition and will instead be competing in the Europa League.<a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/messi-acting-ronaldo-distraction-man-utd-must-leave-ince/bltaa071d3f88d4d682" target="_blank">Ronaldo is reportedly eager to leave Old Trafford</a> to extend his run of 19 consecutive years playing in the Champions League, but has not yet found a willing suitor.The likes of Chelsea and Bayern Munich have distanced themselves from the 37-year-old, who has also been linked with former club Sporting CP and Marseille - but time is running out for him to secure a move with the September 1 transfer deadline looming large.

What about Cristiano Ronaldo?

Russian teams will be absent from this season's Champions League as the country continues to be banned from all major sporting events due to the ongoing military invasion of Ukraine.Shakhtar Donetsk will be representing Ukraine in the competition, though, with their group stage matches set to be played at Stadion Wojska Polskiego in Poland.Legia Warsaw's stadium has been selected because it sits almost 1000 miles away from war-torn Donestk, and will be the fourth different home venue Shakhtar have used in Europe since 2014 - when their city was captured by pro-Russian separatists.

Will Russian & Ukrainian teams play Champions League in 2022-23?

The 2022-23 Champions League group stage will be completed some five weeks earlier than usual due to the World Cup - which is set to kick off in Qatar on November 20. Games will be squeezed in over the course of three back-to-back weeks so that the final knockout stage participants are confirmed by November 2.Matchday 1:&nbsp;September 6-7Matchday 2:&nbsp;September 13-14Matchday 3:&nbsp;October 4-5Matchday 4:&nbsp;October 11-12Matchday 5: October 25-26Matchday 6: November 1-2

When will group stage matches be played?

The Premier League is now widely regarded as the strongest of Europe's top five leagues, but that is not reflected in the recent history of the Champions League.The trophy has only been won by an English side twice in the last ten editions of the competition, with Liverpool seeing off Tottenham in the 2019 final and Chelsea beating Manchester City in the 2021 showpiece.Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool have appeared in two other finals in the last five years, however, suffering defeats against Real Madrid in both 2018 and 2022.Manchester City have yet to win Europe's most prestigious competition, but they are among the favourites this time around after adding prolific Norwegian striker Erling Haaland to their ranks.Spurs are back in the Champions League under Antonio Conte and will be eyeing a repeat of their run three years ago, while Chelsea will be aiming to become only the third English side to win the trophy three times (After Liverpool and Manchester United).

How have English sides fared in recent times?

We are just an hour away from the Champions League group stage draw getting underway in Istanbul.Make sure to keep following our coverage over the few hours - we'll have every single update as it happens.

One hour warning ⏱

Here is the answer to the quiz question I asked a few minutes ago.The answer is fourteen: Liverpool (6), Manchester United (3), Chelsea (2), Nottingham Forest (2) and Aston Villa (1).

Quiz question number two answer 🎉

The second quiz question of the afternoon.How many times has there been an English winner of the Champions League (or European Cup)?Clue: The only English teams to have won the famous trophy are Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest.

🚨 Another quiz question 🚨

Messi's record as the leading goalscorer in Champions League group stage history will remain intact this season. He is currently only three goals clear of Cristiano Ronaldo but, at the moment, the Portuguese superstar won't be involved.PSG's star man can extend his lead over his long-term rival although, he's still got some way to catch the Manchester United striker's overall competition record.<picture><source srcset="https://assets.goal.com/images/v3/blt6ef2d1c8d32084f2/Screenshot_2022-08-25_at_15.36.38.png?format=webp" type="image/webp"><source srcset="https://assets.goal.com/images/v3/blt6ef2d1c8d32084f2/Screenshot_2022-08-25_at_15.36.38.png?format=jpg" type="image/jpeg"><img src="https://assets.goal.com/images/v3/blt6ef2d1c8d32084f2/Screenshot_2022-08-25_at_15.36.38.png?format=jpg" alt="UCL group stage top scorers tweet" data-source="Twitter" data-copyright="Twitter" data-portal-copyright="Twitter" perform:prop="uuid:blt6ef2d1c8d32084f2;width:1051;height:1115"></picture>

Messi's group stage record 🥇

Was Real Madrid's road to winning last season's Champions League the toughest of all-time? Having faced Inter Milan, Shakhtar Donetsk and Sheriff in the group stage, Ancelotti's side embarked on an extremely tough run to the final.PSG were the opponents in the last 16 and Real Madrid were 3-2 victors on aggregrate. Then came reigning champions Chelsea who were on the receiving end of a 5-4 aggregate scoreline following one of the most entertaining second legs ever to be played.Another two fantastic games followed in the semi-final where Los Blancos were able to come back from a 4-3 first-leg deficit to beat Manchester City 6-5 on aggregate. Finally, it was a showdown with Klopp's Liverpool at the Stade de France where a singular goal was enough to ensure the trophy would be returning to the Bernabeu for the 14th time.

Real Madrid's tricky 2021-22 run 🤍

After giving you five minutes to answer the quiz question, here are the answers.The first answer - to the question of how many times Real Madrid have won the Champions League - is fourteen. The goalscorer against Liverpool was Vinicius Junior and the man who provided the assist was Federico Valverde.Well done if you got those right!<picture><source srcset="https://assets.goal.com/images/v3/blt0e1a88bef88220a1/GettyImages-1399799735.jpg?format=webp" type="image/webp"><source srcset="https://assets.goal.com/images/v3/blt0e1a88bef88220a1/GettyImages-1399799735.jpg?format=jpg" type="image/jpeg"><img src="https://assets.goal.com/images/v3/blt0e1a88bef88220a1/GettyImages-1399799735.jpg?format=jpg" alt="Vinicius Junior Liverpool Real Madrid Champions League final 2022" data-source="Getty" data-copyright="Getty" data-portal-copyright="Getty" perform:prop="uuid:blt0e1a88bef88220a1;width:1920;height:1080"></picture>

Quiz question answer 🎉

A quick quiz question to get the mood for the draw later on.Real Madrid are the current holders of the Champions League after beating Liverpool in Paris a few months ago. How many Champions League (and European Cups) have Los Blancos now won?For a bonus point, can you name the goalscorer and the player who provided the assist in the final against Jurgen Klopp's side?

🚨 Quiz question 🚨

Where in the world are you tuning into our coverage from?Let us know in the comments. If you are heading to the comments, also feel free tell us who you support.

Where are you tuning in from? 📱 💻

The journey starts here ✈️

Earlier this week, we put together a piece outlining all the details you need ahead of this afternoon's draw.We will be going through most of them in this blog as we get closer to 5pm but for all the information you may need in one place, click <a href="https://www.goal.com/en/news/champions-league-2022-23-group-stage-draw-date-time-teams-seeding-watch/blt576b8b8fd09f9bcc" target="_self">here</a>.

All the details you need 🗒

As it is every year, the field is wide open in the Champions League this season.Real Madrid showed throughout the earlier part of this year that they can never be ruled out while Manchester City and PSG are as well-placed as they ever have been to pick up their first batch of winners' medals. The likes of Liverpool and Bayern Munich are always a significant threat while Barcelona, Chelsea and Tottenham have all strengthened their squads, and may strengthen those squads even further.Who do you think will be getting their name engraved onto the famous trophy in June?

Where in Europe will the Champions League trophy end up? 🗺

As well as Player of the Year, there is an award this afternoon that will go to the UEFA Coach of the Year for the 2021-22 season.Champions League and La Liga winner Carlo Ancelotti is surely the favourite but stiff competition is provided by Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp who both also got their hands on silverware last term.<picture><source srcset="https://assets.goal.com/images/v3/bltd6ad02c1443da2c5/Screenshot_2022-08-25_at_14.51.17.png?format=webp" type="image/webp"><source srcset="https://assets.goal.com/images/v3/bltd6ad02c1443da2c5/Screenshot_2022-08-25_at_14.51.17.png?format=jpg" type="image/jpeg"><img src="https://assets.goal.com/images/v3/bltd6ad02c1443da2c5/Screenshot_2022-08-25_at_14.51.17.png?format=jpg" alt="UEFA Coach of the Year tweet" data-source="Twitter" data-copyright="Twitter" data-portal-copyright="Twitter" perform:prop="uuid:bltd6ad02c1443da2c5;width:932;height:1121"></picture>

UEFA Coach of the Year nominees 🎖

I showed you the new Champions League ball for this season a little earlier on and we'd like to know which of the balls used in this competition throughout the years is your favourite.Head on over to our Twitter account and let us know.<picture><source srcset="https://assets.goal.com/images/v3/blt0fe058b3f3eddc3e/Screenshot_2022-08-25_at_14.47.32.png?format=webp" type="image/webp"><source srcset="https://assets.goal.com/images/v3/blt0fe058b3f3eddc3e/Screenshot_2022-08-25_at_14.47.32.png?format=jpg" type="image/jpeg"><img src="https://assets.goal.com/images/v3/blt0fe058b3f3eddc3e/Screenshot_2022-08-25_at_14.47.32.png?format=jpg" alt="UCL balls GOAL tweet" data-source="Twitter" data-copyright="Twitter" data-portal-copyright="Twitter" perform:prop="uuid:blt0fe058b3f3eddc3e;width:931;height:1013"></picture>

Which ball is your favourite? 👀

If your team is represented in today's draw, let us know in the comments which teams you want to see in the same group.Do you want an easy ride or would you like to see your side test themselves against Europe's best? I'm sure the answer will largely be the former but to be the best, you often have to beat the best.Make sure to get involved in the comments.

Who would you like to see in your team's group? 🤞

Fans of these clubs won't need me to remind them that they are not involved in this season's Champions League group stage draw.After they finished fifth and sixth in the Premier League respectively last term, Manchester United and Arsenal will not be present this afternoon. They are instead in tomorrow's Europa League draw.Winners of the inaugural Europa Conference League Roma are also in the same draw, as are Monaco and Real Sociedad among others.

Who are we missing this year? 😔

For those of you that haven't watched a group stage previously, here is how this afternoon's draw will work.Each Champions League group will be made up of a team from each of the four pots. However, no two teams from the same nation can be drawn together.Therefore, Manchester City cannot be drawn against Liverpool, Chelsea or Tottenham so there are only five possible Pot 2 teams they can be drawn with. Likewise Real Madrid with Barcelona, Atletico or Sevilla.

How does the draw work?

While all eyes will be on the Champions League draw, there are also a few awards to be handed out. Most notably, one of Karim Benzema, Thibaut Courtois and Kevin De Bruyne will be the recipient of the UEFA Men's Player of the Year award for 2021-22.It's really hard to see past Real Madrid's star striker for this one...<picture><source srcset="https://assets.goal.com/images/v3/blt680d49f7baa102e6/Screenshot_2022-08-25_at_14.27.43.png?format=webp" type="image/webp"><source srcset="https://assets.goal.com/images/v3/blt680d49f7baa102e6/Screenshot_2022-08-25_at_14.27.43.png?format=jpg" type="image/jpeg"><img src="https://assets.goal.com/images/v3/blt680d49f7baa102e6/Screenshot_2022-08-25_at_14.27.43.png?format=jpg" alt="UEFA POTY tweet" data-source="Twitter" data-copyright="Twitter" data-portal-copyright="Twitter" perform:prop="uuid:blt680d49f7baa102e6;width:942;height:1119"></picture>

UEFA Men's Player of the Year to be announced 🏆

As mentioned, Rangers and Celtic will be drawn from Pot 4 later this afternoon. As a result of winning the Scottish Premiership last term, Celtic secured guaranteed passage into the group stage.Meanwhile, Rangers had to come through qualifying and their triumph against PSV in Eindhoven yesterday evening means the two teams will be in the same draw for the first time in 15 years.<picture><source srcset="https://assets.goal.com/images/v3/blt11d98894d24583c8/Screenshot_2022-08-25_at_14.21.28.png?format=webp" type="image/webp"><source srcset="https://assets.goal.com/images/v3/blt11d98894d24583c8/Screenshot_2022-08-25_at_14.21.28.png?format=jpg" type="image/jpeg"><img src="https://assets.goal.com/images/v3/blt11d98894d24583c8/Screenshot_2022-08-25_at_14.21.28.png?format=jpg" alt="Rangers Celtic GOAL tweet" data-source="Twitter" data-copyright="Twitter" data-portal-copyright="Twitter" perform:prop="uuid:blt11d98894d24583c8;width:1061;height:1089"></picture>

Strong Scottish representation 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

And last, but certainly not least, Pot 4. A couple of these teams are going to be in for a really tough time but they will definitely cause some problems of their own.Marseille, Rangers and Celtic are perhaps the stand-out contenders in this group of teams and they are joined by Dinamo Zagreb, Copenhagen, Club Brugge, Viktoria Plzen and Maccabi Haifa.

And finally, which teams are in Pot 4? 4️⃣

Yet again, there is some real pedigree in Pot 3 and there will be a good few teams in here that the teams in Pot 1 and 2 are extremely keen to avoid.The teams are as follows: Borussia Dortmund, Red Bull Salzburg, Shakhtar Donetsk, Inter Milan, Napoli, Benfica, Sporting Lisbon and Bayer Leverkusen.

Who are the Pot 3 representatives? 3️⃣

You could quite easily mistake Pot 2 for Pot 1 this year; it's made up of some cracking teams!Those teams are Liverpool, Chelsea, Barcelona, Juventus, Atletico, Sevilla, RB Leipzig and Tottenham.

What about Pot 2? 2️⃣

There is some excellent variety in Pot 1 this year, spearheaded by the current holders of the trophy Real Madrid. They are joined by the other current member of European royalty, holders of the Europa League Eintracht Frankfurt.Then come the current domestic champions: Manchester City, AC Milan, Bayern Munich, PSG, FC Porto and Ajax.

Which teams make up Pot 1? 1️⃣

UEFA released the 2022-23 Champions League ball earlier today and to no one's surprise, it's an absolute beauty.<picture><source srcset="https://assets.goal.com/images/v3/blt1749fc1c2d2bbea3/Screenshot_2022-08-25_at_13.58.08.png?format=webp" type="image/webp"><source srcset="https://assets.goal.com/images/v3/blt1749fc1c2d2bbea3/Screenshot_2022-08-25_at_13.58.08.png?format=jpg" type="image/jpeg"><img src="https://assets.goal.com/images/v3/blt1749fc1c2d2bbea3/Screenshot_2022-08-25_at_13.58.08.png?format=jpg" alt="UCL ball tweet" data-source="Twitter" data-copyright="Twitter" data-portal-copyright="Twitter" perform:prop="uuid:blt1749fc1c2d2bbea3;width:1073;height:1201"></picture>

This season's ball ⚽️

We are still a couple of hours away from getting underway in Istanbul. The draw is, of course, taking place in the same city as the final in June of next year.The draw is set to begin at 5pm BST (12pm ET). Although, it may start some time after that once all the pre-draw talking is done.Stayed tuned on this page for all the updates as they happen.

The all-important timings ⏰

Hello, good afternoon and welcome to GOAL's live coverage of today's Champions League group stage draw.Real Madrid will be looking to defend yet another crown in this compeitition while Manchester City and PSG search for their first triumph.Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham make up the rest of the English contingent while the likes of Barcelona and Bayern Munich also wait to find out the teams which other teams will join them at this stage.<picture><source srcset="https://assets.goal.com/images/v3/blt473bac1e0381f2cf/Screenshot_2022-08-25_at_13.42.45.png?format=webp" type="image/webp"><source srcset="https://assets.goal.com/images/v3/blt473bac1e0381f2cf/Screenshot_2022-08-25_at_13.42.45.png?format=jpg" type="image/jpeg"><img src="https://assets.goal.com/images/v3/blt473bac1e0381f2cf/Screenshot_2022-08-25_at_13.42.45.png?format=jpg" alt="GOAL UCL draw tweet" data-source="Twitter" data-copyright="Twitter" data-portal-copyright="Twitter" perform:prop="uuid:blt473bac1e0381f2cf;width:1071;height:1079"></picture>

Champions League group stage draw day 😍

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Champions League group stage draw LIVE: Real Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea, Liverpool & more learn opponents | Goal.com Singapore

Live updates from Champions League 2022-23 group stage draw as Barcelona, Real Madrid, Liverpool &amp; Europe&apos;s top teams discover fate