Champions League draw, awards winners: Man United get Bayern; PSG, Milan, Dortmund and Newcastle grouped

The UEFA Champions League 2023-24 group stage draw did not disappoint on Thursday with Bayern Munich paired with Manchester United, Napoli handed Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain drawing Newcastle United at the Grimaldi Forum event in Monaco. Although there was arguably not the “group of death” scenario that many expected, there was no shortage of intriguing ties with some fairly favorable paths for most, if not all, top seeds. 

Confirmed UCL 2023-24 groups

Particularly fascinating will be the Group F combination of PSG, Borussia Dortmund, Milan and Newcastle United which will see the Qatar-owned French champions do battle with the Saudi-backed Premier League outfit. U.S. men’s national team star Christian Pulisic and new Magpies star Sandro Tonali have also been thrown into that mix which makes it arguably the group to keep an eye on when you factor in a BVB side that enjoys big European nights. That group also features two more Americans in Milan’s Yunus Musah and Dortmund’s Gio Reyna. 

Elsewhere, Group A brought together Bayern Munich and Manchester United while Group C has matched Napoli and Real Madrid with each other. In Group G, defending UCL champions Manchester City and RB Leipzig meet again while Inter and Benfica in Group D was a quarterfinal just last season. Arsenal, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona, though, should feel particularly satisfied with their draws given that it hands them favorable routes to the knockout rounds.

Full fixture details and timings will be only confirmed and then communicated once all potential broadcasting and logistical clashes have been taken into consideration.

Group stage matchdays

There were also individual prizes handed out with double delight for Manchester City with Erling Haaland named UEFA’s men’s player of the year and Pep Guardiola the men’s coach of the year after their role in the Premier League titleholders’ maiden Champions League success last season. In the women’s Aitana Bonmati successfully defending her UEFA women’s player of the award after her part in European champions’ Barcelona and world champions Spain’s successes while England boss Sarina Wiegman took home the women’s coach of the year title.

Confirmed UEFA Awards winners