The journey to become crowned the best club in Europe begins next month when the group stage of the 2022-23 UEFA Champions League campaign kicks off.
On Thursday, European soccer’s governing body conducted the group stage draw in Monaco to pool 32 teams across the continent into eight first-round groups.
Here’s a look at the groups.
GROUP A
Bayern Munich (Germany), Manchester United (England), Copenhagen (Denmark), Galatasaray (Turkey)
Marquee matchup: Manchester United is back in the Champions League after a two-year absence and will be looking forward to going up against its rivals Bayern Munich, whom they’ve clashed with 11 times in this competition. These two teams are the class of Group A, so it’s more than likely that their pair of matches will decide first place.
The big question: Can Canadian Alphonso Davies and Bayern Munich put an end to a disappointing streak of three consecutive quarter-final exits in the Champions League and reassert itself as the dominant force in European club soccer by winning the continental competition for a seventh time?
Sevilla (Spain), Arsenal (England), PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands), Lens (France)
Marquee matchup: Sevilla and Arsenal both play vibrant and entertaining brands of soccer, so the two matches between the Sevillistas and the Gunners should make for must-see TV. Plus, Mikel Arteta will have a point to prove – despite his success as manager of Arsenal, the Spaniard is still somewhat underappreciated in his native Spain.
The big question: Can seven-time UEFA Cup/Europa League winners Sevilla take the next step in its evolution and win the Champions League after dominating UEFA’s secondary tournament for the past 17 years?
GROUP C
Napoli (Italy), Real Madrid (Spain), Braga (Portugal), Union Berlin (Germany)
Marquee matchup: Real Madrid is unbeaten in four games (with three wins) against Napoli in their previous European Cup/Champions League encounters. But the Italians enter this year’s tournament as the favourites to top Group C after winning Serie A last season, and buoyed by the supreme attacking talents of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Victor Osimhen.
The big question: After slowly coming up through the ranks, what kind of impression will Union Berlin make in its debut season in the Champions League after previously competing in the UEFA Conference League and the UEFA Europa League over the past two years?
GROUP D
Benfica (Portugal), Inter Milan (Italy), Salzburg (Austria), Real Sociedad (Spain)
Marquee matchup: Benfica gave Inter Milan a stern challenge in the quarter-finals of last season’s Champions League before succumbing over two legs. The Portuguese outfit won a lot of plaudits for their attacking display in the second match on the series and will be eager to prove they belong among Europe’s elite.
The big question: Will Inter Milan be able to duplicate its magical and surprising run to last year’s Champions League final and win the tournament for the first time since 2010 during its historic treble season?
Feyenoord (Netherlands), Atlético Madrid (Spain), Lazio (Italy), Celtic (Scotland)
Marquee matchup: Feyenoord beat Celtic in the 1970 European Cup final, but Atlético Madrid vs. Lazio is this group’s most intriguing matchup as it will see manager Diego Simeone facing the Italian team with whom he won a Serie A title, a Coppa Italia and a UEFA Super Cup during his distinguished playing career.
The big question: Will Celtic finally put its underperforming ways in Champions League behind it and advance to the knockout round for the first time since 2012-13?
GROUP F
Paris Saint-Germain (France), Borussia Dortmund (Germany), AC Milan (Italy), Newcastle (England)
Marquee matchup: It has to be AC Milan vs. Newcastle given that the English club paid a reported €70-million transfer fee to the Rossoneri this summer as part of a move that made the sublimely talented midfielder the most expensive Italian player in history.
The big question: How will a star-studded PSG side led by Kylian Mbappe fare in the “Group of Death” now that Lionel Messi is in MLS and Neymar has moved to Saudi club Al Hilal?
Manchester City (England), Leipzig (Germany), Red Star Belgrade (Serbia), Young Boys (Switzerland)
Marquee matchup: Manchester City vs. Leipzig should be pretty interesting if for no other reason than the Germans made the Premier League side sweat when it earned a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their round-of-16 battle in last season’s Champions League. City responded by posting a 7-0 win in the return match, but Leipzig turned heads and earned the respect of the eventual tournament winners in that first game.
The big question: After a treble-winning season in 2022-23, can Man City become the first team to repeat as Champions League holders since Real Madrid three-peated from 2016 to 2018?
GROUP H
Barcelona (Spain), Porto (Portugal), Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine), Royal Antwerp (Belgium)
Marquee matchup: La Liga champions Barcelona were handed a favourable draw, but the matches against Porto could prove tricky for the Blaugrana. The Portuguese outfit pushed eventual finalists Inter Milan to the brink of elimination in the round-of-16 in last season’s Champions League, so they won’t be intimidated by Barca’s big reputation.
The big question: Will modest Belgian side Royal Antwerp be completely out of its depth during its first Champions League season while competing in a group with three other experienced European campaigners?
John Molinaro is one of the leading soccer journalists in Canada, having covered the game for over 20 years for several media outlets, including Sportsnet, CBC Sports and Sun Media. He is the editor-in-chief of TFC Republic, a website dedicated to in-depth coverage of Toronto FC and Canadian soccer.
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
