This is a good moment to look at how Real Madrid’s group was set up and analyze the competition that Los Blancos will be up against in the 2023–24 UEFA Champions League, which will have its group stage draw on Thursday. Certainly, things may become interesting.
Los Blancos might have faced tough competition in the group stage from teams like Bayern Munich and Manchester City after being seeded in Pot 2 this season. But such is not the case, much to the relief of all Madridistas.
The team chosen from Pot 1 in Real Madrid’s group is Italian champions Napoli. They were a complete machine in Serie A last season, taking home the league crown by an incredible 16 points. The Gli Azzurri also performed admirably in the Champions League, defeating Eintracht Frankfurt 5-0 in the round of 16 before falling just short of defeating AC Milan in the quarterfinals.
The games are anticipated to be quite close because Napoli is without a doubt the hardest opponent in Real Madrid’s group. However, the Italian team lost Kim Min-jae to Bayern Munich this summer, who was their top defender. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, on the other hand, appears to be experiencing a decline in shape as well. Not to mention that they now have a new manager in place after Luciano Spalletti left after leading them to the Serie A championship.
Real Madrid’s 23/24 Champions League group breakdown
Portuguese team Sporting de Braga is the following opponent in Real Madrid’s group. They placed third in the Portuguese league last year and had to compete in Champions League qualifying matches to advance to the group stage, where they defeated Panathinaikos to secure their spot in the premier event in Europe.
Union Berlin of Germany is the last team in the group that Real Madrid is in. They are without a doubt a team to watch for since they have successfully qualified for the Champions League for the first time in their existence. In the Bundesliga, they have established themselves as a difficult side to beat, and their recent surge has been nothing short of spectacular.
Real Madrid should be pleased with their team overall, though.