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Champions League 2023/24 Predictions: Team-by-team profiles

Paul Higham
18 September 2023
3:00 min read

Who will win the 2023/24 Champions League?

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Paul Higham has team profiles and latest odds for all 32 sides taking part in the 2023/24 Champions League group stages...

Man City favourites to retain European title
How will Newcastle cope back in the big time?
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As we close in on the start of the 2023/24 Champions League the big question yet again is who can stop Man City from heading to Wembley to retain their title.

Pep Guardiola had tried for years to win Europe's top prize without Lionel Messi and finally did it with a scrappy win over Inter, but will that now open the floodgates?

With six-time winners Liverpool and twice champions Chelsea not involved this year, City's biggest threats could come from abroad where the big guns have loaded up.

Jude Bellingham has hit the ground running to join a younger, revamped Real Madrid, while Bayern Munich shelled out for Harry Kane precisely for this tournament.

So who has the best chance of making the Champions League final at Wembley Stadium Saturday June 1? Read on to find out...

Group A

Bayern Munich 11/26.40

German champions | Best finish: Six-time winners

They sneaked their way to an 11th Bundesliga title in a row but Bayern Munich were put out comfortably by Man City last year and responded with that blockbuster move for Harry Kane.

Dortmund's Raphael Guerreiro and Napoli's highly coveted Napoli centre-back Kim Min-Jae also look like sound additions for Thomas Tuchel - who of course has won this before while at Chelsea.

Thomas Tuchel and Harry Kane.jpg

It all adds up to the Bavarians being installed as Man City's main challengers, and rightly so, as Kane already looks like giving them the same cutting edge they had with Robert Lewandowski in their last Champions League success.

After three straight quarter-final exits they have all the ingredients needed for another shot at the trophy, and the group draw has actually been pretty good to them.

Kane will relish the chance to return to Old Trafford quickly in what should really be a two-horse race of a group.

Man Utd 20/121.00

Premier League third | Best finish: Three-time winners

Erik ten Hag has been backed again in the transfer market so we should expect a decent showing from Man Utd after last season's finalist Andre Onana, 2021 winner Mason Mount and up-and-coming striker Rasmus Hojlund were all signed for big money.

And Ten Hag knows his way around the Champions League as he was seconds away from getting Ajax into the 2019 final before Spurs produced a late semi-final miracle.

There's plenty of cash that's been invested in this squad and they're very strong at Old Trafford, but away performances at the bigger sides remains a worry.

That's a big concern with trips to the Allianz and out to Istanbul, but there's enough quality in this squad to at least go through in second.

FC Copenhagen 500/1501.00

Danish champions | Best finish: Last 16 twice

The only Danish side to have ever reached the knockout stages beat Rakow in a play-off to give themselves the chance to try and replicate that slive of history.

They were a tough nut to crack at home where they drew with eventual champions Man City, Europa League winners Sevilla and Borussia Dortmund in last year's group stage.

Copenhagen only scored one goal in total though as they lost all three games away and it could be a familiar story here with away trips to Old Trafford, Dortmund and Galatasaray to come.

Galatasaray 250/1251.00

Turkish champions | Best finish: Semi-finals (1988/89)

It's not quite the hostile 'Welcome to Hell' away day it used to be, but the Turkish will still offer something and this season have Wilfried Zaha looking to prove he can play at this level.

Zaha was signed along with Hakim Ziyech and Mauro Icardi as high-profile arrivals to join Dries Mertens a front three capable of causing anyone problems.

They'll be keen to give Bayern and Man Utd a tough time when they visit but overall third is where they should finish.

Group B

Sevilla 80/181.00

Europa League champions | Best finish: Quarter-finals (1958, 2018)

Guess what, Sevilla won the Europa League last season, again! So they're in the Champions League for a fourth straight season despite a disappointing domestic campaign.

They often raise their game in Europe but it's hard to see them really troubling the big guns in the competition beyond the odd group stage win or even a shock knockout success.

Their Europa League win meant they get a spot as a top seed and the last time that happened then progressed from the group at least.

Arsenal 10/111.00

Premier League runners-up | Best finish: Runners-up (2006)

Arteta 2.jpg

It'll be a real test for Mikel Arteta's Arsenal squad this season to try and back-up last year's Premier League title challenge while also competing back in the Champions League.

The owners backed him by signing £100m man Declan Rice and although Kai Havertz's arrival raised eyebrows, the German did score the Champions League final winner for Chelsea against City in 2021.

A lot will depend on injuries and how well they do in the league and domestic cups and this is another step on the learning curve for Arteta so best temper expectations beyond making the knockouts.

But the draw was kind enough for them and they should really be winning this group given their investment.

PSV Eindhoven 150/1151.00

Second in Netherlands | Best finish: Winners (1987/88)

They booked their place in style with an emphatic 7-3 hammering of Rangers in the play-offs and they're another team who you can expect plenty of goals from.

After avenging last year's Champions League defeat to Rangers, they'll look for more revenge against Sevilla who knocked them out of the Europa League.

They should have a decent shot at second spot behind group favourites Arsenal in straight fight with Sevilla.

Lens 150/1151.00

Second in France | Best finish: Group stage

The best of the rest in France behind PSG, there's not too much expected from Lens as their odds suggest.

They've never made it out of the group stages and it'll be tough to break that run after losing striker Lois Openda to RB Leipzig in the summer. Third spot and the Europa League is the limit of their ambition.

Group C

Napoli 25/126.00

Italian champions | Best finish: Quarter-finals (2023)

Napoli won an emotional first Serie A title in 33 years and went further than ever before in the Champions League before suffering something of an upset defeat against AC Milan in the quarter-final last season.

Only Man City scored more goals in the competition last season, and they've kept hold of star attackers Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia but saw manager Luciano Spalleti leave suddenly, before later taking the national team job.

Frenchman Rudi Garcia's appointment didn't inspire confidence in Naples, but they're superb at home and will be a tough draw for anyone in the knockouts.

Real Madrid 8/18.80

Spanish runners-up | Best finish: 14-time winners

With four-time winner Carlo Ancelotti you'll always have a chance, and Jude Bellingham already looks like a star for a Madrid team that may not miss Karim Benzema after all.

Eduardo Camavinga, Aurélien Tchouaméni, and Federico Valverde offer legs to Toni Kroos and Luka Modric's guile as they slowly change the guard in a bid to rise to the challenge of stopping Man City.

Carlo Ancelotti press conf 1280 .jpg

Injuries to Vinicius Junior, Thibaut Courtois and Eder Militao are a worry with the burden for goals falling to Joselu and Rodrygo, while 18-year-old 'Turkish Messi' Arda Guler may be thrust into action at some point.

As long as they get their big stars back by the knockouts they'll be there or thereabouts once again after safely coming through this group with Napoli.

Braga 250/1251.00

Third in Portugal | Best finish: Group stage

The Portuguese side beat Panathinaikos 3-1 in the play-offs to make the Champions League groups for a third time, but they're not expected to go any further.

Napoli and Real Madrid should be far too strong and even though debutants Union Berlin give them chance at third at first glance I also expect the Bundesliga side to see them off.

Union Berlin 150/1151.00

Fourth in Germany | Best finish: First appearance

They made the last 16 of the Europa League last season but finishing fourth in the Bundesliga was a massive fairytale finish for Union Berlin as they make their Champions League debut.

The €13m arrival of Robin Gosens from Inter shows you just what level they operate at financially, so they're one of the minnows in that sense.

Anyone who watches the Bundesliga knows they're tough, as the only side not to lose at home in the league last season. The only conceded 11 goals at home too so don't expect to get too much change out of them on their own patch.

Group D

Benfica 50/151.00

Portuguese champions | Best finish: Two-time winners

The Portuguese champions have been seriously impressive the last couple of years when making back-to-back Champions League quarter-finals.

They've lost another big player in striker Goncalo Ramos but brought in the experienced Angel Di Maria so they hope is they can defy the odds yet again.

Benfica followed getting through a group with Barcelona and Bayern by topping their group ahead of Juventus and PSG last year so aren't afriad of taking on the big boys.

They face runners-up Inter and will not find it a walk in the park to see-off Salzburg and Sociedad who offer tricky tests.

Inter Milan 25/126.00

Third in Italy | Best finish: Three-time winners

There's been plenty of turnover for last season's beaten finalists, who pushed Man City all the way and could well have produced a big upset had they taken their chances.

Goalkeeper Andre Onana was joined out the exit door by the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Edin Dzeko and Marcelo Brozovic.

Simone Inzagji brought in Benjamin Pavard from Bayern to join free transfers Marcus Thuram, Juan Cuadrado and Alexis Sanchez, but his side still look a bit weaker than last year.

Nevertheless, you'd back them to finish top of this group.

Red Bull Salzburg 200/1201.00

Austrian champions | Best finish: Winners (2023)

A fifth straight Champions League birth come safter a 10th straight Austrian league title for Salzburg, who funnily enough have never lost an opening game in the competition.

Their games are rarely dull so expect goals when they play, and they're not without a shout here as they'll fancy sharing points around with Benfica and Sociedad if not Inter.

They could be a dark horse as an outsider to qualify for the knockouts, as they did two seasons ago.

Real Sociedad 100/1101.00

Fourth in Spain | Best finish: Semi-finals (1982/83)

Sociedad are another team that got to the last 16 of the Europa League last season and look to make the step up this term as they return to the big time after a decade out of the frame.

Another team who will fancy their chances at home, but they're a decent away side too as they showed beating Man Utd at Old Trafford when topping their Europa League group last season.

Striker Andre Silva arrived from RB Leipzig whle Arsenal's Kieran Tierney joining on loan was an eye-catching move.

Group E

Feyenoord 150/1151.00

Dutch champions | Best finish: Winners (1970)

Feyenoord are back in the Champions League for the first time since the 2017-18 season, but they've still been doing nicely in Europe after making the quarter-finals of the Europa League last year.

This is a big step up though and even getting a top seeding it could be a struggle with Atletico and Lazio favourites to go through ahead of them.

Atletico Madrid 25/126.00

Third in Spain | Best finish: Runners-up (2014, 16)

Diego Simone's side seemed to have lost that aura about them last year as they finished bottom of a group they'd have expected to win containing Porto, Leverkusen and Brugge.

They're just a few levels below the team that could've won this twice but for Real Madrid pipping them in extra-time and on pens in the 2014 and 2016 final.

It looks a shootout between them and Lazio for top spot but visits to Celtic Park and De Kuip are among the tougher ones they could face at this stage.

Lazio 100/1101.00

Second in Italy | Best finish: Quarter-finals (1999/00)

Finishing second to Napoli was Lazio's best league finish for 23 years but in the Europe League they suffered a bad loss to AZ Alkmaar in the last 16.

They went unbeaten in their last Champions League group campaign in 2020/21 and the way the draw has panned out they have avoided being paired with two huge European superpowers.

Atletico are not quite what they were while Feyenoord were one of the weaker top seeds so all-in-all a decent draw for the Italians.

Celtic 200/1201.00

Scottish champions | Best finish: Winners (2023)

They finished bottom of the group last season despite giving Real Madrid and RB Leipzig a game at times, and it's now over a decade since they made the Champions League knockouts.

Feyenoord, Atletico and Lazio may not be the very biggest names they coukd have drawn, but it'll still be an uphill task for the Hoops to end their wait for a Champions League knockout tie.

Group F

PSG 16/117.00

French champions | Best finish: Runners-up (2020)

New PSG boss Luis Enrique won this with Barcelona but finally getting the Qatar owners a European crown for their money looks an even tougher task.

French stars Theo Hernandez and Ousmane Dembele have been brought in while superstars Neymar and Lionel Messi departed - but Kylian Mbappe remains even if doesn't seem too happy about it.

A talent such as Mbappe needs to be respected, as does a manager like Enrique, but there's just a bit too many negatives around squad this season to trust them to go deep in the competition.

This group could even be a test to get through, with Dortmund and Milan always tough places to go and Newcastle sure to be rocking when they arrive for a battle between Qatar and Saudi Arabian owners.

They were eased slightly in the market after the draw and they could be one of the more vulnerable group favourites.

Borussia Dortmund 50/151.00

Second in Germany | Best finish: Winners (1997)

You have to feel for Dortmund, who had the Bundesliga title in their grasp only to let it slip on the final day - and then followed that by losing Jude Bellingham in the summer.

Raphael Guerreiro was another key loss as he was another vultured by Bayern on a free - and the modest arrivals of Marcel Sabitzer and Felix Nmecha just shows the harsh reality of Dortmund's situation.

The Yellow Wall will back them all the way but they've been handed a tough group draw which saw them drift from 33/1 out to 50s.

AC Milan 40/141.00

Fourth in Italy | Best finish: Seven-time winners (2023)

The second-most successful side in Europe's top competition, losing to Milan rivals Inter in last year's semis must have really hurt, but they have been improving in the competition over the last few years.

Losing Sandro Tonali to Newcastle is a blow, but Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Christian Pulisic coming in from Chelsea could be astute signings.

And as luck would have it they'll face the former star Tonali when they face Newcastle in arguably the toughest group in the competition.

Newcastle 25/126.00

Premier League fourth | Best finish: Second group stage (2003)

It's stage one complete for Newcastle's Saudi owners' masterplan, and ahead of schedule too as they can't have expected to have finished in the top four this soon.

Eddie Howe did brilliantly though to get them back into Europe for the first time in a decade and back in the Champions League after 20 years.

And make no mistake, St James' Park will be no picnic even for big guns PSG, Dortmund and AC Milan who will all visit after the Magpies were handed a blockbuster group draw.

It means their path to the knockouts is much tougher, but on the flip side will provide three huge European nights for the Toon Army, and the bookies still fancy them as they were only eased out from 20/1 despite such a tough draw.

Group G

Man City 2/12.94

Premier League champions | Best finish: Winners (2023)

So after Pep Guardiola finally got the job done will that mean Man City now dominating in Europe too? Kevin De Bruyne's injury certainly won't help matters.

Only Real Madrid have won back-to-back titles in the last 33 years so it's a tough assignment but adding Josko Gvardiol bolsters their defence and could even make them a better all-round team despite losing Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez.

Last year's top scorer Erling Haaland will always give them goals so as long as De Bruyne is back for the sharp end of the tournament they'll remain the team to beat.

RB Leipzig 50/151.00

Third in Germany | Best finish: Semi-finals (2019/20)

A fifth straight Champions League campaign for RB Leipzig who continue to challenge Dortmund as chief opposition to Bayern in the Bundesliga.

Good form led to them losing their three best players though with Gvardiol, Szoboszlai and Nkunku going to the Premier League.

Gvardiol will face his former team as Leipzig tackle Man City for the third straight season, and after losing 6-3 and 7-0 on their last two trips to the Etihad they'll be wondering how much worse it can get.

Crvena Zvezda 500/1501.00

Serbian champions | Best finish: Winners (1991)

The first Serbian group to qualify direct into the group stages, the winners of one of the worst European Cup finals ever in 1991 will provide one of the most hostile away games in Belgrade.

Man City and Leipzig will be made to feel uncofortable but probably nothing more. They'll be battling it out with Young Boys for third spot.

Young Boys 500/1501.00

Swiss champions | Best finish: Semi-finals (1958/59)

The Swiss champions beat Maccabi Haifa in the play-offs but again they'll just be trying to avoid bottom spot in the group - where they've finished in their last two appearances.

The faced Man Utd both times - getting a draw at Old Trafford just a couple of years ago so that's something to cling to, but now they've got Man City to deal with.

Group H

Barcelona 14/115.00

Spanish champions | Best finish: Five-time winners

Barca won their 27th La Liga title this year but they'll be at a big disadvantage this season as they play away from their iconic Nou Camp home for the first time since 1957.

The Olympic Stadium in Barcelona will be their home for a couple of seasons, which is no Nou Camp but big enough to get a decent atmosphere in for Champions League nights.

Xavi has Ilkay Gundogan on board after lifting the trophy in June with Man City and have Robert Lewandowski's goals to go with Gavi and Pedri's skills.

Their league success was built on a defence that conceded just 20 goals but in the Champions League they struggled when Inter and Bayern saw them off in the group stages - they'll hope for much better this season.

Porto 100/1101.00

Second in Portugal | Best finish: Two-time winners (1987, 2004)

Beaten by Inter 1-0 on aggregate in a real grind of a last 16 tie last season added to Porto being edged out by Benfica for the Portuguese title.

Making their 27th appearance in Champions League group stages, the Dragons again lost their star man as Otavio made a big-money move to Saudi Arabia.

They'll still fancy their chances of making it through what looks a pretty kind draw for them on paper.

Shakhtar Donetsk 500/1501.00

Ukrainian champions | Best finish: Quarter-finals (2011)

They're Champions League regulars now and had impressive results last season with a draw against Real Madrid and win over Leipzig but it was not enough to get out of the group.

And again getting a decent result against either Porto or Barcelona might be within their grasp, but getting enough points over the six games to finish above those two looks a tall order.

Antwerp 500/1501.00

Belgian champions | Best finish: Last 16 (1957/58)

Filed under the 'happy to be here' teams, Antwerp won the Belgian title last season thanks to Toby Alderweireld's dramatic late goal, and then beat AEK Athens in a play-off to make the group stages.

There's a familiar face in the dugout in former Dutch international midfielder Mark van Bommel, but on the pitch they'll just be happy to score a few goals and not get embarrassed.

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