What You Should Know About 2023/2024 UEFA Champion’s League As It Starts Today (Time)
Written by admin on September 19, 2023
Following the kicking off of UEFA Champions League 2023/24 season today (Tuesday) football fans across the globe eagerly await the drama, excitement, and moments that this prestigious competition never fails to deliver. They are waiting to know what will happen in this new season of champions league With Europe’s most elite clubs vying for glory, the stage is set for another unforgettable journey.
The 2023–24 UEFA Champions League season will be the 68th since its inception and the 31st since it was rebranded. The current format will be the last to be implemented in Europe’s best competition, as the organisers have set up a certain ‘Swiss’ format to replace the usual Round Robin, which will kick off next season.
This week, football fans will be treated to fixtures among clubs that haven’t taken part in years. The likes of Newcastle, Royal Antwerp, Real Sociedad, and SC Braga will make a return to European football after a long time and will face elite clubs in their respective groups.
However, here are some things to know ahead of the campaign.
Messi and Ronaldo’s absence
The 2023–2024 campaign will be the first campaign in 18 years to be played without Messi or Ronaldo. Considered the GOATs’ of the game, both players have had healthy competition in the biggest stage(s) of the competition and won’t be present this time since 2004. Messi and Ronaldo are currently inspiring their teams to victories at Inter Miami and Al-Nassr, respectively.
Spanish dominance
The UEFA Champions League trophy has been a ‘Spanish thing’ since its inception. Real Madrid and Barcelona have won the coveted trophy 18 times, with Madrid winning 13 and Barcelona winning 5 times, respectively. However, there are only 15 in England: Liverpool with 6, Manchester United with 3, Chelsea and Nottingham Forest with 2, and Manchester City and Aston Villa with one each.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s safe record
Cristiano Ronaldo has scored the most goals in the history of the UEFA Champions League with 140 goals, and it does look safe. Of the current players participating this season, only Roberto Lewandowski comes close with 91 goals.
Champions League wins
Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, Casemiro, Sergio Ramos, Nacho Fernadez, and Daniel Carvajal are the only players in the competition to have won the Champions League five times.
Missing clubs
Unfortunately, a few “big” clubs are missing out on the competition after a lot of lucrative years. In England, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Tottenham did not make it here. In Italy, Juventus fell out after a miserable campaign. Others are Roma and Villarreal, who have enjoyed some big moments but are missing.
When are the 2023/24 Champions League group stage matches?
Matchday 1: 19/20 September 2023
Matchday 2: 3/4 October 2023
Matchday 3: 24/25 October 2023
Matchday 4: 7/8 November 2023
Matchday 5: 28/29 November 2023
Matchday 6: 12/13 December 2023
When do the 2023/24 knockout stages of the Champions League start?
Round of 16: 13/14/20/21 February and 5/6/12/13 March 2024
Quarter-finals: 9/10 and 16/17 April 2024
Semi-finals: 30 April/1 May and 7/8 May 2024
Final: 1 June 2024
The 2023/24 UEFA Champions League season will conclude at London’s Wembley Stadium. The highlight of European football’s club calendar is returning to the London venue for a record eighth time, and the third in the UEFA Champions League era following the 2011 and 2013 finals.
Champions league group stage matches today and time
MILAN VS NEWCASTLE—5:45 PM
YOUNGE BOYS VS LEIPZIG—5:45 PM
BARCELONA VS ANTWERP—8:00 PM
FEYENOORD VS CELTIC—8:00 PM
LAZIO VS ATLETICO MADRID– 8:00 PM
MANCITY VS CRVDA ZVEZDA— 8:00 PM
PARIS SAINT GERMAN VS B. DORTMOND– 8:00 PM
SHAKHTAR DONETSK VS PORTO—8:00 PM
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CLUBS AND THEIR RESPECTIVE GROUPS
EMEKA DILIBE–
