As the Champions League qualifiers kick off, the list of teams that have secured their place in the prestigious tournament is nearly complete.
The pots aren’t defined just yet but Celtic are likely going to be in pot 4.
Starting with the Premier League, Arsenal, Manchester City, Newcastle, and Manchester United have all qualified.
Arsenal’s recent resurgence under Mikel Arteta has been impressive and the manager could have something special starting in London.
Manchester City, despite their financial muscle, have just won the Champions League title for the first time in their history and will set out to defend the competition. Celtic is the only side that Pep has faced more than once with City and failed to beat, drawing 1-1 in Manchester against Rodgers’ side, and 3-3 at Parkhead.
Manchester United, while a formidable opponent, have had their share of ups and downs in recent seasons.
Under Eddie Howe, Newcastle have come on leaps and bounds, without making the signings many expected them to make when the takeover went through, with Ronaldo and Mbappe nowhere near the northeast.
From La Liga, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Sevilla, and Real Sociedad have qualified.
Barcelona, despite their financial woes, remain a threat, but Celtic have shown they can hold their own against the Catalan giants in the past but have been humiliated by the side a few times since.
Real Madrid, with their star-studded lineup, are always a challenge, but Celtic went toe to toe against last year’s defending champions in the home tie, and were extremely unlucky not to walk away with anything to show for it.
Atletico Madrid, Sevilla, and Real Sociedad, while strong teams, are not invincible.
The Bundesliga has produced Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, and Union Berlin, the new home of former Celtic star Josip Juranovic.
Bayern and Dortmund are always tough competitors, but Celtic have shown that they can get a result against the German champions in recent times.
RB Leipzig and Union Berlin, despite their recent successes, are still relatively new to the Champions League stage, and Celtic will fancy their chances against them.
From Serie A, Inter Milan, Lazio, AC Milan, and Napoli have qualified.
Italian teams are known for their tactical nous, but Celtic’s attacking flair can unsettle any opponent and have had success in Italy in recent years, with the win over Lazio, while also taking a two-goal lead at the San Siro against Milan, before chucking it under Neil Lennon.
Benfica from Portugal, Red Star Belgrade from Serbia, Feyenoord from the Netherlands, Shakhtar from Ukraine, and RB Salzburg from Austria have also qualified.
Finally, from Ligue 1, we have Paris Saint-Germain, a team that has invested heavily in their quest for European glory. Lens, who had an impressive season last season, will join the prestigious side in the competition.
The 2023/24 #UCL group stage teams as things stand…
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— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) July 17, 2023
