The UEFA Champions League kicks off with 16 game titles distribute amongst Tuesday and Wednesday.
Let us evaluate some of the most important matches of this very first day of the group stage.
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September 6
Team E: Dinamo Zagreb – Chelsea, Salzburg – Milan
Team F: Celtic – Genuine Madrid, Leipzig – Shakhtar
Group G: Seville – Person Town, Dortmund – Copenhagen
Team H: Paris – Juventus, Benfica – Maccabi Haifa
September 7
Team A: Ajax – Rangers, Naples – Liverpool
Group B.: Atletico – Porto, Bruges – Leverkusen
Group C: Inter – Bayern, Barcelona – Pilsen
Group D: Eintracht Frankfurt – Sporting CP, Tottenham – Marsella
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what to look at
Celtic hosts the champion
Celtic have been absent from the Champions League group stage given that 2017/18, but right after professing the Scottish title from Rangers very last time, they are again with a bang. Carlo Ancelotti’s checking out workforce are reigning champions of Spain and Europe, but Scottish supervisor Ange Postecoglou desires his teammates to see him as a staff that can be overwhelmed.
“When you have these prospects it is much better to swap jerseys with gamers you admire soon after beating them, fairly than obtaining just one for your selection,” defined the Australian. Glasgow Celtic are in fantastic kind: their only precedent with True Madrid was in the quarter-finals of the 1979/80 European Cup, in which the Scottish facet won 2- at home, prior to getting rid of 3- in Spain.
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Haaland returns to Seville
The past time Erling Haaland visited Sevilla, in a match in the round of 16 of the Champions League 2020/21, the Spanish sports newspaper Marca started its reportage with the following terms: “A monster named …”. Then, with Dortmund, the Norwegian striker scored twice in the two video games obtaining a 5-4 aggregate, with Marca concluding that “there is no defense that can quit him”.
Sevilla will look for to disprove the paper when the 22-calendar year-previous returns to the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán stadium for his to start with team phase match as a City participant. On the other hand, figures counsel it could be a challenging evening for the Andalusians. Haaland scored a hat-trick on his Champions League debut with Salzburg (6-2 acquire against Genk in September 2019) and a brace in his very first match in the BVB level of competition (2-1 gain in the spherical of 16 against Paris in February 2020).
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Bayern visits Inter in the round of death
Julian Nagelsmann had no doubts just after the draw brought Bayern versus Inter, Barcelona and Plzeň in Group C: “It is unquestionably the most tricky team of the team phase,” claimed the coach of the Bundesliga champions. On the other hand, the 35-year-previous thinks his group can confront any challenge, incorporating: “I feel we can complete 1st.”
Bayern have scored 20 targets in their initial 4 aggressive matches of the period and their new signing, Sadio Mané, designed Robert Lewandowski a should-see. Simone Inzaghi’s Inter, even so, will not be an easy rival 2nd in Italy last period, he has among his forwards Edin Džeko, Lautaro Martínez and Romelu Lukaku.
When are group phase matches played?
1st matchday: 6/7 September 2022
2nd matchday: 13/14 September 2022
Matchday 3: 4/5 Oct 2022
Matchday 4: 11/12 Oct 2022
5th matchday: 25/26 Oct 2022
Matchday 6: 1/2 November 2022
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After
• Pleasure for Team C will intensify on Matchday 2 on Tuesday when Robert Lewandowski returns to Bayern with his new club Barcelona. The next working day Haaland’s Metropolis will confront their outdated staff, Dortmund.
Anfield will be in the highlight on Matchday 3, when Liverpool host Rangers in the first match of the Team A double match. Incredibly, the two British sides have however to meet in UEFA competitiveness.
• With Cristiano Ronaldo absent from the team stage, Lionel Messi has the chance to near the 15-goal hole that separates him from his lengthy-time rival in the top rated scorers. Beneath them, Lewandowski and Karim Benzema get started the 2022/23 season tied with 86 objectives just about every.