Champions League 2023: Man City, Bayern, Madrid, Barcelona seek knockout.

This week, the Champions League 2023 showcases the world’s greatest clubs and breaks up a challenging season.

Four straight wins will advance Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City to the Champions League round of 16. Three weeks ago, all teams won at home.

Sevilla, Union Berlin, and Manchester United differ domestically.

The defending English and European champion beat City 3-0 at Old Trafford on Saturday, highlighting the gap between the two Manchester teams. United travel to Copenhagen on Wednesday after losing five home games but beating them 1-0.

Bayern hasn’t lost a Champions League group stage match since 2017. Harry Kane’s third hat-trick of the year helped Bayern beat Borussia Dortmund 4-0 at their stadium on Saturday.

• Read More
• Champions League 2023: Man City, Bayern, Madrid, Barcelona seek knockout.
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• Jamie Carragher picks two Liverpool stars for the title run

Union Berlin has lost 12 straight since September 3, including its first three Champions League games. Wednesday is hard in Napoli.

At the weekend, La Liga leader Real Madrid had the world’s most entertaining player. Jude Bellingham has scored twice in every Champions League match, including last weekend’s 2-1 win over Barcelona.

Sevilla finished bottom, fired its coach, and went winless in the Champions League. Sevilla meets Arsenal, who have won all home games this season.

Bayern vs. Galatasaray, Manchester City vs. Young Boys, and Madrid vs. Braga will prove elite superiority.

Nine points put Barcelona in the top four of the eight groups. With another win over Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday, the Spanish champion advances.

In the last Champions League, Barcelona visited Hamburg, Shakhtar’s hometown. Post-November 28: Royal Antwerp

Dying Stress

Teams that lose three Champions League group stage games rarely advance.

Both winners may teach Union Berlin, Royal Antwerp, and the now-meaningless Benfica.

Atlanta’s 2019–20 season began with the worst conceivable fourth-game draw. Atalanta nearly defeated PSG in the quarterfinals.

Newcastle advanced from the 2002–03 first group stage despite three losses.

Tuesday, Antwerp visits Porto; Wednesday, Benfica visits Real Sociedad; and Thursday, Union visits Napoli.

Mixing in Milan

One Milanese team may advance to the round of 16, and the other may be eliminated this week.

Wednesday’s win at Salzburg will qualify Serie A leader Inter Milan as last season’s loser.

Seven-time champion AC Milan is suffering after falling to Inter in May’s quarterfinals.

Milan faces PSG on Tuesday, last in Group F with no goals and no wins, three weeks after losing 3-0 in Paris.

Even though Borussia Dortmund hosts Newcastle on Tuesday and only four points separate first and last in a tight group, Newcastle has hope.

When Gianluigi Donnarumma returns to San Siro, Milan fans may be unfriendly. He left Milan for free in 2021.

Preview: Milan fans heckled Donnarumma in September’s Euro 2024 qualifier against Ukraine.