Benfica, FC Porto and Sporting de Braga, the three Portuguese representatives in the ‘elite’ of European football, face their rivals this Thursday in the group stage of the 2023/24 Champions League, whose draw takes place in Monaco.
The ‘fate’ of the three Portuguese teams will begin to be decided from 5:00 p.m. (Lisbon time), with the ‘incarnated’, national champions, integrated into pot 1, along with Manchester City, Seville, FC Barcelona, Napoli, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Feyenoord, thus avoiding these seven emblems.
In pot 2, FC Porto will be drawn, as well as Real Madrid, Manchester United, Inter Milan, Borussia Dortmund, Atlético de Madrid, Leipzig and Arsenal, teams that the ‘dragons’ will not face, but will be on the way to Lisbon and minhotos.
Sporting de Braga, in pot 3, will avoid Shakhtar Donetsk, Salzburg, AC Milan, PSV Eindhoven, Lazio, Estrela Vermelha and Copenhaga, who are in the same ‘pool’ and, therefore, are only potential rivals for Benfica and of FC Porto.
Pot 4 includes Young Boys, Real Sociedad, Galatasaray, Celtic, Newcastle, Union Berlin, Antwerp and Lens, and these eight formations can take on any of the Portuguese teams.
In the draw there is a condition that teams from the same country cannot face each other in the group stage.
The first round of the Champions League group stage will take place on September 19 and 20, and the sixth and final round on December 12 and 13.
Source: TSF
