What to look out for on Wednesday of UEFA Champions League Matchday 1
Wednesday, September 20, 2023
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We pick out the teams, players and matches that should be making all the headlines as 16 more teams kick off their UEFA Champions League group stage campaigns.
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The second set of 16 teams involved in the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League group stage will begin battling for the ultimate prize on 20 September. Harry Kane is welcoming Man United to his new home while Galatasaray are bringing the noise. Check out some key talking points.
Tuesday 19 September
AC Milan 0-0 Newcastle United
Young Boys 1-3 Leipzig
Feyenoord 2-0 Celtic
Lazio 1-1 Atlético de Madrid
Paris 2-0 Dortmund
Man City 3-1 Crvena zvezda
Barcelona 5-0 Antwerp
Shakhtar Donetsk 1-3 Porto
Wednesday 20 September
Galatasaray vs Copenhagen (18:45)
Real Madrid vs Union Berlin (18:45)
Bayern vs Man United (21:00)
Sevilla vs Lens (21:00)
Arsenal vs PSV Eindhoven (21:00)
Braga vs Napoli (21:00)
Benfica vs Salzburg (21:00)
Real Sociedad vs Inter (21:00)
All kick-off times 21:00 CET unless stated
Galatasaray back in the big time
Having battled through three rounds of qualifiers to make it to the group stage, Galatasaray must hit the ground running, with a home meeting with Copenhagen offering a chance to make a positive start in Group A, which also features Man United and Bayern. New arrival Dries Martens hopes the passion of Cimbom's home fans will pay dividends, having told UEFA.com: "That craziness is unbelievable."
With striker Mauro Icardi – a group stage regular with Inter and Paris – in sparkling form, there is plenty for Galatasaray to be excited about, but while Okan Buruk is up for this meeting with Copenhagen, the return leg at Parken on Matchday 6 may be more emotional still. "We won the UEFA Cup in 2000 in that stadium," said the coach, a midfielder in the celebrated shoot-out success against Arsenal. "This venue has a special meaning for Galatasaray. Knowing that I will revisit the stadium excites me as a coach."
Kane factor adds more spice to Bayern vs United
Bayern forward Thomas Müller may have had his tongue in his cheek when he gave his reaction to the club being drawn against Man United. "They have a former Bayern reserve coach in Erik ten Hag," he explained, mindful perhaps that neither he or Ten Hag would be the centre of attention in the run-up to their opening home game of the campaign.
The spotlight is sure to be on Harry Kane, who decided to join Bayern from United's Premier League rivals Tottenham in the summer. The England national team's all time top scorer with 58 goals, Kane scored a relatively modest five goals in his 19 games against United as a Spurs player, but seems to be settling well in Germany. "He is making all the players better as they see how attentive he is," said coach Thomas Tuchel.
When are the UEFA Champions League group stage games being played?
Matchday 1: 19/20 September
Matchday 2: 3/4 October
Matchday 3: 24/25 October
Matchday 4: 7/8 November
Matchday 5: 28/29 November
Matchday 6: 12/13 December
Further ahead
• Napoli vs Real Madrid is going to be the big game on the opening night of Matchday 2, with the Italian champions playing host to the Spanish giants, who are led by former Partenopei boss Carlo Ancelotti.
• Leipzig will look to avoid another Erling Haaland masterclass as they welcome reigning European champions Man City on 4 October; the Norwegian scored five in a 7-0 home win against the Bundesliga club in last season's round of 16.
• Sides face each other home and away on Matchdays 3 and 4, with Sevilla vs Arsenal/Arsenal vs Sevilla set to be a cracker. The sides met in the 2007/08 group stage; the Gunners won 3-0 in London but lost 3-1 in Spain.
Where is the 2024 UEFA Champions League final being played?
The 2023/24 UEFA Champions League final will take place at Wembley Stadium in London on 1 June 2024.