Real Madrid will be looking to win their 15th Champions League title in the 2023/24 season with an improved squad. The Spanish giants were beaten by Manchester City in the semi-final of the European competition last season.

Back in the Champions League for the first time since 2016/17, Arsenal will face Europa League winners Sevilla, 1988 European Cup winners PSV Eindhoven and Lens of France in Group B.

Real Madrid, the record 14-time champions who won the trophy in 2022, were drawn with Italian champions Napoli in Group C, which also features Braga of Portugal and Champions League debutants Union Berlin.

Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti spent 18 months in charge of Napoli between 2018 and 2019. Meetings between the teams have been rare, but Real beat the Napoli of Diego Maradona in the first round of the old European Cup in 1987.

Reigning Spanish champions Barcelona will take on Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk and Royal Antwerp of Belgium in Group H. Antwerp’s only appearance in Europe’s elite club competition before this season came in 1957/58, when they lost to Real Madrid in the first round.

The first round of matches will be played on September 19 and 20, with the group stage concluding on 13th December. This is the last season of the group stage under the current format, which has been in place for two decades.

Next season UEFA will introduce an expanded group stage featuring 36 teams, up from the current 32, with every club playing eight matches instead of the current six in a format known as the “Swiss system”.