Holders Real Madrid have been drawn against Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk in the group stage of the 2022-2023 UEFA champions League The-14 time winners will also have to take on German side RB Leipzig and Scottish outfit Celtic to begin their tittle defence.
Shakhtar Donetsk-the only team from Ukraine left in the competition-pl ayed the first competitive game on Tuesday after football was suspended as a result of Russia’s invasion.
The Ukrainian champions will play their group games at the stadium Wojska Polskiego in the Polish capital,Warsaw.
Russian teams were banned from UEFA competitions in February.
Bayern Munich, Barcelona,and Inter Milan,who have won a combined 14 European cups or Champions Leagues-were drawn together in a mouth watering Group C alongside Victoria Plzen.
Last year’s runners’up Liverpool will face another British side Rangers,as well as Dutch Champions ,Ajax and Napoli.
Paris Ssint-Getman take on Juventus, together with Benfica,and Israeli side Maccabi Haifa-the lowest ranked side in the group stage.
Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus are set to compete in the champion’s League while also fighting in the European court of Justice for the right to form their own breakaway competition.
Manchester City Striker Erling Haaland will return to play against his former club Bomssia Dortmund after moving for 60million Pounds in the summer.
The English champions were also drawn against Sevilla and Coppenhagen in Group G.
Meanwhile,last year’s UEFA Europa League winners Eintracht Frankfurt will play Tottenham Hotspur,sporting CP and Marseille.
This season’s fixture schedule has been tightened to an eight-week period owing to the FIFA 2022 World Cup in Qatar,which begins in November.
The top two teams from each group will qualify for the knockout rounds, which will begin in 2023.
The season’s champion’s League final took place at Instabul’s Ataturk Olympic stadium.
The venue last hosted the 2005 showpiece,when Liverpool dramatically came from 0-3 down against AC Milan to win on penalties after extra-time.
Below is the full draw:
UEFA Champion’s League Group Stage draw 2022-23:
Group A- Ajax(Netherlands), Liverpool (England),Napoli(Italy),Rangers(Scotland)
Group B-Porto (Portugal),Atletico Madrid(Spain),Bayer Leverkusen,(Germany),Club Brigg(Belgium)
Group C-Bayern Munich(Germany),Barcelona(Spain),Inter Milan(Italy),Victoria Plzen (Czech Republic)
Group D-Eintracht Frankfurt (Germany), Tottenham Hotspur (England),Sporting CP(Portugal), Marseille (France)
Group E- AC Milan(Italy), Chelsea(England),Salzburg(Austria),Dinamo Zagreb(Croatia)
Group F-Real Madrid (Spain),RB Leipzig(Germany), Shakhtar Donetsk(Ukraine),Celtic(Scotland)
Group G-Manchester City(England),Servilla(Spain),Borussia Dortmund (Germany), Copenhagen (Denmark)
Group H-Paris Saint-Germain(France), Juventus (Italy),Benfica(Portugal),Maccabi Haifa(Israel).
Sources:UEFA, AP