The road to Istanbul has been paved. The draw for the 2022-23 Champions League group stage was completed Thursday, as the 32 clubs involved learned their opponents for the opening round of the competition.

Group A

Instant analysis: As last season’s defeated finalists, Liverpool will be expected to once again make a deep Champions League run. The Reds face a challenging group, though, with Napoli and Ajax both talented and capable of staging upsets. Rangers, meanwhile, will bank on raucous support from their Ibrox faithful to ensure their return to the Champions League group stage is a memorable one after a trying 12-year absence.

Group B

Instant analysis: Atletico Madrid should be relatively pleased with this outcome, considering some of the other possibilities. FC Porto and Bayer Leverkusen are no pushovers, but Diego Simeone’s battle-tested side will be expected to grind out the results in typical Atleti fashion and reach the knockout stages once again. Club Brugge have taken some big hits in the transfer window, but they still have an outside chance of advancing.

Group C

Instant analysis: Get the popcorn ready. Robert Lewandowski returns to Bayern Munich sooner than he ever expected, as the new Barcelona talisman will meet his former side shortly after his summer transfer. Barca will look to exact some revenge after they fell to Bayern in a pair of 3-0 losses during last season’s group stage. The proverbial Group of Death is topped off by Inter Milan, arguably the most dangerous team in Pot 3 for Thursday’s draw. Viktoria Plzen, the Czech champions, have a mountain to climb here.

Group D

Instant analysis: Is this the year Antonio Conte finally puts some of his past Champions League struggles behind him? He couldn’t have asked for a much better outcome to get that ball rolling. Tottenham should be the class of the quartet, but given Conte’s history and the relatively equal status of the other three teams in the group, how this will play out is anyone’s guess. Eintracht Frankfurt, the Europa League holders, Sporting, and Marseille should all have eyes on the knockout stage.

Group E

Instant analysis: AC Milan and Chelsea, two clubs familiar with one another at the boardroom level from their recent confirmed and reported transfer dealings, headline an intriguing section. Red Bull Salzburg made some waves last season before finally succumbing to Bayern Munich, so the two Group E heavyweights will need to be on high alert against the Austrian outfit. But everyone will want to keep an eye out for Dinamo Zagreb’s Mislav Orsic, who has a flair for the dramatic in European competition.

Group F

Instant analysis: Familiarity was a key element of Thursday’s draw; reigning champions Real Madrid, the 14-time European Cup winners, will lock horns with Shakhtar Donetsk for the third consecutive season. Carlo Ancelotti’s men will likely be most wary of the threat posed by RB Leipzig. Meanwhile, Celtic, back in the group stage for the first time in five years, have every chance to sneak into second place and reach the knockout phase.

Group G

Instant analysis: So, about those familiar faces. Erling Haaland, still pretty fresh off his big move to Manchester City, will be back at the Westfalenstadion when his new team meets his former club, Borussia Dortmund. Europa League savants Sevilla will aim to translate their success from the sister competition onto the main stage, while FC Copenhagen were surely hoping for a more generous outcome from the football gods.

Group H

Instant analysis: By the time Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus meet, a pair of Argentines may have swapped the French capital for Turin. Angel Di Maria left PSG for Juve this summer after seven seasons, and Leandro Paredes could soon join him. That’ll be the standout match in Group H, but Benfica, even without Darwin Nunez, will provide a stern test, especially for a Juventus team that remains unsettled. Don’t discount the Portuguese club’s chances of advancing. Maccabi Haifa’s dramatic playoff victory to reach the group stage will likely be the highlight of their European campaign.

Champions League schedule

This season’s tournament kicks off in just 12 days, with the final slated for June 10, 2023, at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium.

In a change facilitated by the upcoming men’s World Cup, the entire group stage of the Champions League will be completed in the space of nine weeks to accommodate the tournament in Qatar, which starts Nov. 20.

• Matchday 1: Sept. 6-7
• Matchday 2: Sept. 13-14
• Matchday 3: Oct. 4-5
• Matchday 4: Oct. 11-12
• Matchday 5: Oct. 25-26
• Matchday 6: Nov. 1-2

The full fixture list will be revealed by UEFA at a later date.

The matchups are set. With the Champions League group stage draw officially in the books, it’s time to dissect the quartets. Here’s what to expect ahead of the competition’s big kickoff on Sept. 6.

Group A

Following a poor return of two points from three matches to begin their Premier League title bid, this group could be exactly what Liverpool needs.

Ajax, like Liverpool, won all six of their group matches in 2021-22, but this team is under construction. Erik ten Hag left for Manchester United, taking defender Lisandro Martinez with him while making repeated attempts to bring Antony along, too. The Dutch giants have spent an unprecedented amount to replace Martinez, Sebastien Haller, Ryan Gravenberch, and others, but it could take time for Alfred Schreuder’s team to gel.

Rangers’ first competitive meetings with Liverpool promise to be fiery, but finishing above both their foes south of the border and Ajax – against whom they’ve lost all four matches – may be a step too far for Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s tactical expertise. Napoli also have a good chance of progressing after a strong Serie A start and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s form helped quell fans’ initial concerns over the club’s transfer activity.

Key question: Are Liverpool really in crisis? The Reds have three matches against Bournemouth, Newcastle United, and Everton before their Champions League campaign begins, giving Jurgen Klopp an opportunity to improve morale while the injury list (hopefully) shrinks.

Prediction: Napoli and Ajax fight until the final day for that coveted second spot.

Group B

With the dogged, defensive Atletico Madrid the most successful team this group has to offer in the modern era, there’s a chance the 24 matches played between these sides won’t draw too much attention.

It could be close, though.

Pot 4’s selection, Club Brugge, aren’t a lock for last place. Young attackers Andreas Skov Olsen and Ferran Jutgla already have six goals between them over the first five games of the Belgian season, while Cyle Larin – scorer of 26 goals over two Turkish Super Lig seasons with Besiktas – still awaits his first start after his summer switch.

FC Porto rarely just make up the numbers. The Portuguese powerhouses have competed in the knockout stages of the Champions League or Europa League in each of the past 16 seasons. Porto can also take encouragement from Bayer Leverkusen’s results in Germany: a humiliating DFB-Pokal elimination to third-tier Elversberg ahead of three straight Bundesliga defeats.

Key question: Will Atletico Madrid be more positive in their play? Sorry, stupid question.

Prediction: Bayer Leverkusen fall arse-backward into the Europa League despite some impressive performances from Club Brugge.

Group C

Pray for Viktoria Plzen.

The Czech minnows, playing in their first group stage since 2018, were thrown alongside Bayern Munich, Barcelona, and Inter Milan – a trio with 14 European titles between them – for six lucrative yet terrifying fixtures this fall.

While the group’s obvious headline is Robert Lewandowski’s reunion with his former employers, Barcelona could be forgiven for entering their scuffles with Bayern Munich with some trepidation. Barca have won only two of their last 13 European fixtures against Bayern, including the catastrophic 8-2 hammering at the Camp Nou in 2020 and two wholly uninspiring 3-0 setbacks in last season’s group stage.

Inter Milan broke a 10-season curse when they finally advanced to the round of 16 last term, and Romelu Lukaku has looked comfortable on his return to the Nerazzurri. They’re the third-best team in this group, but they’re a solid outfit that could frustrate and upset the two Bs.

Key question: Barcelona president Joan Laporta has been busy this summer despite Barca’s dire financial situation – but how long will it take Xavi to make this dysfunctional club appear functional?

Prediction: Bayern continue to work wonders in the transfer market, with Sadio Mane quickly proving an excellent replacement for Lewandowski. It’s hard to look past the Bavarians for first place.

Group D

There’s a distinct Europa League feel to this quartet. But given that three of the 10 perfect group stage campaigns in Champions League history were recorded last season (Liverpool, Ajax, Bayern Munich), is parity such a bad thing?

Eintracht Frankfurt are making their first appearance in the continent’s premier competition since the 1960 European Cup final. The reigning Europa League champions may find it difficult following the departure of talisman Filip Kostic, especially when facing Antonio Conte’s Tottenham Hotspur. The Italian tactician has molded a well-balanced team that has an outside chance of challenging for the Premier League title.

Marseille will be looking for improvement after finishing their last two campaigns (2013-14 and 2020-21) bottom of their group. Sporting CP, meanwhile, cannot be underestimated after reaching the knockout rounds ahead of Borussia Dortmund last time out.

Key question: Conte’s Champions League record of 12 wins, 11 draws, and 11 defeats in charge of Juventus, Chelsea, and Inter Milan isn’t great. Can he fix it?

Prediction: Tottenham’s squad depth might be the best it’s ever been, and that should allow them to ease out of the group while the rest squabble over second place.

Group E

Do any Red Bull Salzburg and Dinamo Zagreb fans think they can get out of this group?

AC Milan and Chelsea are the obvious Group E heavyweights, and their tussles should ultimately decide who finishes top. Their matchup is a long time coming: The last time these two teams met was in 1999 when Oliver Bierhoff and Dennis Wise scored in a 1-1 draw at the San Siro.

One of the biggest Milan-Chelsea subplots could revolve around Rafael Leao. The outrageously talented attacker has been linked with the Blues for much of the summer, and he’s due for a breakout season in Europe after his introduction was hampered by Milan’s group stage elimination in 2021-22. His phenomenal surges in speed and dribbling ability helped him bag 11 goals and eight assists during the Rossoneri’s Scudetto-winning campaign. He was named Serie A’s most valuable player.

Key question: How will Thomas Tuchel’s side fit together? It’s been a period of upheaval at Stamford Bridge as Todd Boehly took ownership of Chelsea from Roman Abramovich and proceeded to play Football Manager in his boardroom. The Blues’ business has been frantic, to say the least.

Prediction: It’s time for Milan to finish atop a Champions League group for the first time since 2007.

Group F

Taking on Shakhtar Donetsk is a good omen for Real Madrid. This is the fourth time Los Blancos have been drawn with the Ukrainians in the group stage, and they’ve gone on to win the Champions League on two of the previous three occasions.

Anything less than first place in Group F would be a disappointment for Carlo Ancelotti’s reigning champions.

The true battle could be between RB Leipzig and Celtic. The former will be widely fancied to emerge from this group, but a woeful start to the Bundesliga season and questions over the effectiveness of their previously unstoppable counterattack hang over Domenico Tedesco’s side. Celtic, on the other hand, are perfect in the Scottish Premiership and still have a feel-good factor under manager Ange Postecoglou.

Key question: How will Shakhtar fare? The team will play its home matches in the Polish capital of Warsaw due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and is reeling after clubs preyed on their foreign players, like Manor Solomon and Tete. This is a big ask.

Prediction: Celtic cause an upset, giving Leipzig a spring slate of Thursday night games.

Group G

The images of Phil Foden and Erling Haaland’s secretive post-match conversation in April 2021 led to predictions that the Norwegian marksman would join Manchester City that summer. Those forecasts were only a year out.

Haaland will meet his old Borussia Dortmund teammates during the group stage, pitting two attack-minded teams against one another for a pair of must-watch affairs. Liverpool-linked Jude Bellingham was excellent when City and Dortmund last locked horns and will be desperate for a long Champions League run in what could be his final season in Germany.

Europa League savants Sevilla have had an unimpressive start to the campaign but will be hoping the addition of five-time Champions League winner Isco can offer the know-how that could sneak them into second. Viktor Claesson has been in excellent form for FC Copenhagen, but a finish better than fourth would be a huge surprise for the Danish side.

Key question: Will Haaland be as deadly? The new Manchester City striker netted a remarkable 15 goals in 13 Champions League outings for Dortmund, but early evidence indicates Pep Guardiola will use him as both a scorer and creator.

Prediction: Unless Sevilla director of football Monchi works his magic in the remainder of the summer transfer window, Manchester City and Dortmund will be punching their tickets to the knockout rounds.

Group H

Lionel Messi has only failed to score against five teams he’s faced in the Champions League: Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan, Rubin Kazan, Udinese, and Benfica.

It will be fairly impressive if Benfica remain on that list after two group stage outings against Paris Saint-Germain, but there’s little chance Jan Vertonghen and Nicolas Otamendi can also keep Kylian Mbappe, Neymar, and PSG’s supporting cast of attackers subdued.

But Benfica should be confident of taking points away from Juventus and, of course, Israeli upstarts Maccabi Haifa. Not all is well at Juve: The midfield continues to be a problem, and a glaring lack of creativity makes Massimiliano Allegri’s men a rather uninspiring watch.

Key question: How long has Allegri got? The aforementioned issues in Turin could cost the manager his job soon, even after his hugely successful first spell in charge.

Prediction: Replacing Darwin Nunez’s goal output won’t be easy, but the way Benfica swept FC Midtjylland and Dynamo Kyiv aside in their qualifiers was extremely promising. They can reach the knockout rounds.