The road to Wembley has been paved. The draw for the 2023-24 Champions League group stage was completed Thursday, as the 32 clubs involved learned their opponents for the opening round.

Group A

Instant analysis: Bayern Munich and Manchester United, who’ve faced each other 11 times previously, are the clear favorites to advance out of top-heavy Group A. Harry Kane will lead Bayern against United in his first match against English opposition since leaving Tottenham Hotspur. Galatasaray and Copenhagen had to trudge through qualifying, but with Mauro Icardi leading the line and a raucous fan base awaiting weary travelers from continental Europe, Istanbul-based Galatasaray are a legitimate wild card.

Group B

Instant analysis: Arsenal should fancy their chances of advancing as winners of Group B in their return from a seven-year hiatus. While Sevilla are the golden standard in the Europa League, having won the tournament for a record seventh time last season, they’ve struggled to make a similar impact in Europe’s top competition. RC Lens are full of exciting talent, headlined by summer signing Elye Wahi, and could cause an upset in their first Champions League appearance in 21 years.

Group C

Instant analysis: Napoli will put their title credentials on the line when Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid come to town. Ancelotti, who coached Napoli for one-and-a-half seasons, knows what it takes to succeed in the cauldron that is the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. Napoli most recently met Madrid during the round of 16 of the 2016-17 Champions League, losing the tie 6-2 on aggregate. With Juventus star Leonardo Bonucci reportedly set to join Union Berlin, keep an eye on Germany’s up-and-comers.

Group D

Instant analysis: Last year’s Champions League finalists Inter Milan could have a trickier time navigating this group of dark horses than expected. Benfica are reigning Portuguese champions, Red Bull Salzburg continue to incubate young talent, and Real Sociedad are anchored by Martin Zubimendi, whom many regard as the next Sergio Busquets. Inter did well as underdogs last year; this time, they’ll have to cope with heftier expectations.

Group E

Instant analysis: Though Atletico Madrid may stand out as the kingpin of this quartet, Diego Simeone’s side lacks the steel that fortified runs in 2014 and 2016. Lazio play attractive football but lack consistent scoring. Feyenoord won the Eredivisie with relative ease, but a chunk of their players have never experienced the Champions League. Celtic’s Kyogo Furuhashi is a hidden treasure, but can he alone get them to the knockout stage for the first time in a decade?

Group F

Instant analysis: Where do we start? All four of these teams could anchor groups of their own. AC Milan and Newcastle United are far above the quality of teams you’d expect in Pots 3 and 4. Unfortunately, UEFA’s draw is notoriously uneven, and these four teams have to accept their places in this year’s group of death. PSG’s Gianluigi Donnarumma and Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali will face former side Milan and return to San Siro to both jeers and cheers.

Group G

Instant analysis: Titleholders Manchester City have every chance to emerge from Group G with a perfect 6-0-0 record. After beating RB Leipzig by a combined 8-1 score in the group stage last season, City will meet a team without Christopher Nkunku, Dominik Szoboszlai, or Josko Gvardiol, who – in what surely seems like a sick joke to fans of the German outfit – is now with the reigning European champions. With all due respect to Crvena Zvezda and Young Boys, they’re cannon fodder.

Group H

Instant analysis: It’s highly unlikely Barcelona will be eliminated from the group stage this season. The La Liga winners famously crashed out of the competition last year and fared just as poorly in the Europa League. But manager Xavi has them playing much more solid football than they did at any point of their previous European campaign. Keep an eye on Royal Antwerp, who are a blast from the past with Vincent Janssen, Toby Alderweireld, and Ritchie De Laet in their ranks.

Champions League schedule

This season’s group stage kicks off Sept. 19.

• Matchday 1: Sept. 19-20
• Matchday 2: Oct. 3-4
• Matchday 3: Oct. 24-25
• Matchday 4: Nov. 7-8
• Matchday 5: Nov. 28-29
• Matchday 6: Dec. 12-13

The full fixture list will be released by UEFA this week.

Other key dates

The round of 16 draw will take place on Dec. 18, with the quarterfinal and semifinal draws being conducted together on March 15, 2024.

• Round of 16, first legs: Feb. 13-14 and 20-21
• Round of 16, second legs: March 5-6 and 12-13
• Quarterfinals, first legs: April 9-10
• Quarterfinals, second legs: April 16-17
• Semifinals, first legs: April 30-May 1
• Semifinals, second legs: May 7-8

Champions League final

The showpiece match is slated for June 1, 2024, at Wembley Stadium. The iconic venue will stage the final for a record eighth time and third in the Champions League era.

With exactly one week left in the transfer window, many clubs are scrambling to make last-minute additions, either to put themselves over the top or rectify issues that have emerged early in the new season. There’s still plenty of talent available to accomplish those goals. Here are 20 players who could yet be on the move prior to the Sept. 1 deadline.

Note: Estimated transfer values provided by transfermarkt.com.

Sofyan Amrabat (Fiorentina)

Age: 27
Position: Defensive midfielder
Estimated value: €30M

Central midfielders, particularly with a proclivity for the defensive side of the game, are going to be very popular on this list as some of Europe’s top clubs scramble to complete much-needed midfield rebuilds. Amrabat, not currently training with Fiorentina’s first team, is chief among the candidates.

Folarin Balogun (Arsenal)

Age: 22
Position: Striker
Estimated value: €30M

Balogun’s future has been a source of intrigue ever since he returned to Arsenal following a prolific loan spell at Reims. Eddie Nketiah is Mikel Arteta’s preferred option whenever Gabriel Jesus is unavailable, meaning Balogun must look elsewhere for minutes. A transfer to Monaco seems imminent.

Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus)

Age: 36
Position: Center-back
Estimated value: €1.5M

Juventus publicly cast the decorated veteran aside early in the summer, leaving him out of the team’s preseason tour of the United States. Bonucci, whose physical decline has been severe, reportedly wanted to remain in Italy. But with few domestic suitors, he now appears set to join Union Berlin.

Joao Cancelo (Manchester City)

Age: 29
Position: Full-back
Estimated value: €50M

Pep Guardiola’s decision to eschew traditional full-backs worked wonders for Manchester City last season, so Cancelo’s return from his Bayern Munich loan was always likely to be temporary until another suitor came along. Barcelona, still in a delicate financial state, are trying to formulate a deal.

Philippe Coutinho (Aston Villa)

Age: 31
Position: Attacking midfielder
Estimated value: €10M

Now 31 and clearly not at the peak of his powers any longer, Coutinho profiles like a prime candidate to collect one last big payday in the Middle East. Saudi Arabian and Qatari clubs are reportedly interested in signing the diminutive Brazilian playmaker, whose career has fizzled since leaving Liverpool.

Cheick Doucoure (Crystal Palace)

Age: 23
Position: Defensive midfielder
Estimated value: €35M

Whether it happens over the next week or next summer, Crystal Palace are in line to turn a massive profit on the holding midfielder who joined the Eagles from Lens last year for around £21 million. Talk of Liverpool’s interest has been incessant, but Palace will fight to keep the blossoming Malian.

Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid)

Age: 23
Position: Forward
Estimated value: €50M

Felix, who has looked downright miserable all summer while waiting for a transfer to materialize, clearly wants a fresh start. At this point, Atletico Madrid would surely welcome a transfer, too. The Portuguese forward still has plenty to offer, but his next move will be critical to get his career back on track.

Ryan Gravenberch (Bayern Munich)

Age: 21
Position: Central midfielder
Estimated value: €30M

Gravenberch arrived in Bavaria last summer as one of the most exciting midfield prospects in all of world football. But after just three starts and 576 Bundesliga minutes in his debut season at Bayern, the young Dutchman is being tipped to depart in search of more regular playing time.

Randal Kolo Muani (Eintracht Frankfurt)

Age: 24
Position: Striker
Estimated value: €80M

Paris Saint-Germain have been working to sign Kolo Muani all summer as they try to leave their failed Galacticos experiment in the rearview and embark on a new era built around young French stars. The two clubs are reportedly “optimistic” about striking a deal before the Sept. 1 deadline.

Mohammed Kudus (Ajax)

Age: 23
Position: Attacking midfielder
Estimated value: €40M

West Ham United are on the brink of winning a heated race for one of the game’s most electrifying talents. Kudus, linked with Chelsea and Brighton & Hove Albion earlier this summer, could cost the Hammers nearly €45 million plus a hefty sell-on clause. The Ghanaian is more than worth it.

Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea)

Age: 30
Position: Striker
Estimated value: €40M

Lukaku played this one horribly. He apparently ghosted Inter, the one team that actually wanted him, enraging the club’s brass and ending any hope of a return that seemed like a foregone conclusion. Chelsea want him out, and Juventus fans protested against his potential arrival. Now what?

Harry Maguire (Manchester United)

Age: 30
Position: Center-back
Estimated value: €20M

Nobody on this list needs a move more than Maguire, the much-maligned defender who has unfortunately gone from Manchester United captain to a punchline in record time. The Red Devils’ valuation could be a stumbling block, but for the good of all parties, Maguire needs to leave Old Trafford.

Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain)

Age: 24
Position: Forward
Estimated value: €180M

After a winding – and, frankly, tiring – encore of this never-ending transfer saga, Mbappe and PSG appear back on amicable terms despite an extremely bitter contract feud that led to the French superstar’s alienation from the squad. He could stay. He could join Real Madrid. At this point, who knows.

Matheus Nunes (Wolverhampton Wanderers)

Age: 24
Position: Central midfielder
Estimated value: €45M

Nunes’ move to Wolves was never just about his on-pitch abilities. Were it not for his ties to super-agent Jorge Mendes, the Portuguese midfielder would have went straight from Sporting CP to a top-tier European side. Molineux was always just a pit stop, with Manchester City now keen on a deal.

Amadou Onana (Everton)

Age: 22
Position: Central midfielder
Estimated value: €45M

Given some of the astronomical fees being thrown around for midfielders this summer, Everton would be well within their right to demand a huge sum for Onana. The Belgian could instantly improve many top-end clubs, and he still has room to improve.

Benjamin Pavard (Bayern Munich)

Age: 27
Position: Defender
Estimated value: €40M

Inter Milan have reportedly agreed to an initial €30-million deal with Bayern Munich for the versatile French defender, who is looking for a new adventure after four years in Germany. The Bundesliga champions must find a replacement before sanctioning a sale, though. The clock is ticking.

Kalvin Phillips (Manchester City)

Age: 27
Position: Central midfielder
Estimated value: €32M

Manchester City being on the hunt for another midfielder prior to the deadline likely says everything you need to know about whether Phillips’ status within the squad has changed at all. Stapled to the bench last season, the Englishman is a candidate to make a last-minute loan move on deadline day.

Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

Age: 31
Position: Forward
Estimated value: €65M

Every transfer insider has been steadfast in reporting that Liverpool don’t want to sell Salah this summer, and that the Egyptian star, who signed a new contract just last summer, is happy at Anfield. But until the window closes, continued rumors of a gargantuan Saudi offer will have Reds fans sweating.

Khephren Thuram (Nice)

Age: 22
Position: Central midfielder
Estimated value: €40M

The trail has gone somewhat cold after Thuram was linked with the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United earlier in the summer. But, assuming that interest was genuine, the Frenchman could reemerge as a target in the final week of the window as clubs circle back on their familiar targets.

Marco Verratti (Paris Saint-Germain)

Age: 30
Position: Central midfielder
Estimated value: €40M

Lionel Messi left. Neymar was jettisoned. Verratti could be next. PSG are looking to part with the metronomic Italian, and clubs in Saudi Arabia and Qatar are lining up to oblige them. The crafty midfielder won’t come cheap, though, as Al-Hilal have learned in their negotiations with the French side.

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — New York Jets coach Robert Saleh believes it’s in the best interest of the team to play quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the final preseason game, bad history and injury risk be damned.

“You can’t coach scared, you can’t play scared,” Saleh said Tuesday, confirming that Rodgers will start Saturday against the New York Giants. “You can slip out of your car and have something happen to you. Knock on wood, everyone will be fine.”

Rodgers, 39, who sat out the first three games and hasn’t played in the preseason since 2018, said he was in favor of playing even before Saleh broached the idea.

“There wasn’t much of a conversation with Robert,” Rodgers said. “I think he was a little more nervous I might have said no, but I was already leaning toward asking him to play. So, it was an easy conversation.”

Editor’s Picks

2 Related

With the season opener less than three weeks away, Saleh wants Rodgers to get acclimated to MetLife Stadium and its atmosphere before facing the