The UEFA Champions League continues on Wednesday with the first round of Group A-D matches.
We pick out a few key talking points ahead of the second round of opening matches.
September 6
Group E: Dinamo Zagreb 1-0 Chelsea, Salzburg 1-1 AC Milan
Group F: Celtic 0-3 Real Madrid, Leipzig 1-4 Shakhtar
Group G: Sevilla 0-4 Man City, Dortmund 3-0 Copenhagen
Group H: Paris 2-1 Juventus, Benfica 2-0 Maccabi Haifa
September 7
group A: Ajax v Rangers, Napoli v Liverpool
Group B: Atlético v Porto, Club Brugge v Leverkusen
Group C: Inter vs Bayern, Barcelona vs Pilsen
Group D: Frankfurt vs Sporting CP, Tottenham vs Marseille
What to pay attention to
Bayern to Inter for ‘group of death’ opener
Julian Nagelsmann left no doubt after draw prepared Bayern for meetings with Inter, Barcelona and Pilsen in Group C: ‘It’s definitely the toughest group in the group stage’ , said the coach of the Bundesliga champions. Even so, the 35-year-old believes his side can handle any challenge, adding: “I think we can finish first.”
Bayern have scored 20 goals in their first four competitive games of their domestic season, with newcomer Sadio Mane ensuring Robert Lewandowski hasn’t missed too much so far. Simone Inzaghi’s Inter won’t be a breeze though; runners-up in Italy last season, they have Edin Džeko, Lautaro Martínez and Romelu Lukaku among their forward options.
Rangers return after long absence
Last season’s UEFA Europa League finalists, Rangers return to the UEFA Champions League group stage for the first time since 2010 and face a tough first assignment against Ajax, who have won all six of their group in 2021/22. With the departure of Erik ten Hag, however, it is a new Dutch side under new manager Alfred Schreuder, although five out of five Eredivisie wins this season with 16 goals scored and only three conceded suggests that they remain formidable adversaries.
“You have to keep your way of playing,” said Rangers coach Giovanni van Bronckhorst, whose side won 1-0 at Ajax’s domestic rivals PSV Eindhoven in the second leg of the Champions League. play-offs, although the Scottish club entered this one after losing. 4-0 to champions Celtic in the first Old Firm game of the season on Saturday. “You continue to trust your players and give them confidence because in the past we have bounced back from heavy defeats and that’s what we need to do again.”
When are the UEFA Champions League group stage matches played?
Day 1: September 6/7, 2022
2nd day: 13/14 September 2022
Matchday 3: October 4/5, 2022
Matchday 4: 11/12 October 2022
Matchday 5: October 25/26, 2022
Matchday 6: 1/2 November 2022
Further away
• The Group C ante will intensify on Tuesday Matchday 2 with Robert Lewandowski’s return to Bayern with his new club Barcelona. Haaland’s City will face his former club Dortmund the following day.
• Anfield will be the place to be on Matchday 3 as Liverpool host Rangers for the first leg of their Group A double-header. UEFA.
• With Cristiano Ronaldo out of the group stage, Lionel Messi has the chance to close the 15-goal gap on his longtime rival in the all-time top scorer rankings. Below them, Lewandowski and Karim Benzema start the 2022/23 campaign with 86 goals each.
Where is the 2023 UEFA Champions League final being played?
The 2022/23 Champions League season will end at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul on June 10, 2023.
Built to support Türkiye’s bid to host the 2008 Olympics, the venue opened in 2002 and is home to the Turkish national team. Located in the Başakşehir district of the city, west of the Bosphorus, it can accommodate more than 75,000 seats.