The UEFA Champions League group stage will soon be upon us and excitement is already building for the draw which is due to take place in Monaco on Thursday 31st August. Manchester City are the holders, having beaten Inter Milan 1-0 in the final to claim the first Champions League trophy in their history.
Pep Guardiola’s side will be hard to beat this season, but they’ll have to be at their best to overcome Europe’s top teams. The likes of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich have made statement signings by bringing in Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane, respectively. In this blog, we’ll take a closer look at the ten favourites for this season’s edition of the UEFA Champions League.
The Champions League is a competition adored by fans all over the world, and SeatPick makes the process of securing matchday tickets a whole lot easier. Read to the end of the blog and we’ll show you how to buy Champions League tickets.
10. Atletico Madrid
Atletico Madrid is a club still on the hunt for its first Champions League trophy, but Diego Simeone’s side are nothing more than an outsider this season. Los Colchoneros disappointed in the Champions League last season, and the summer arrivals of Caglar Soyuncu and Cesar Azpilicueta have failed to strike fear into the hearts of their rivals.
Despite that, Atletico remain a club that many will hope to avoid in this year’s Champions League draw. Under Simeone, Atleti are always gritty, intense, and unafraid to go toe-to-toe with the biggest clubs in the world. They came agonisingly close to winning the Champions League in the 2013/14 and 2015/16 campaigns, losing to local rivals Real Madrid in both finals.
9. Newcastle United
The Magpies haven’t featured in the Champions League proper since the 2002/03 season, but the Saudi Arabia-led takeover in 2021 has quickly transformed the club’s fortunes. Newcastle United were a club in a Premier League relegation battle when the Saudi money arrived, but, less than two years later, they’re considered one of the top Champions League contenders.
Eddie Howe has done an excellent job as manager and the club have bought well in the transfer market. They’ve added Sandro Tonali, Harvey Barnes, and Tino Livramento to their ranks over the summer. Newcastle beat Liverpool to the fourth Champions League spot in the 2022/23 Premier League season, and started their 2023/24 league campaign with a resounding 5-1 win over Aston Villa.
They may lack Champions League experience, but the Newcastle fans will certainly create an intimidating atmosphere in St. James’ Park when they host Europe’s top clubs. The city will be buzzing. Newcastle United Champions League tickets will be in demand, and fans can secure the best deals on SeatPick.
8. Napoli
SSC Napoli are definitely one of the dark horses for this season’s Champions League after they secured their first Serie A title since 1990. They produced an excellent brand of football, finishing 16 points clear of 2nd-placed Lazio and reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time in their history.
Last year’s star man Victor Osimhen appears to be going nowhere and, despite Inter Milan’s run to the final last season, Napoli are the Italian club that stand out in this year’s draw. The fans always create an awesome atmosphere on Champions League nights at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.
7. Manchester United
The Red Devils are back in the Champions League after a one-year hiatus, and positivity is returning to the club after Erik ten Hag won the Carabao Cup in his first season in charge. The Dutch manager guided Ajax to the semi-finals of the Champions League in the 2018/19 season, and he’ll be hoping to go even further this season.
Manchester United are a club with Champions League pedigree, having won three European Cups. They’re not one of the main favourites this year, but they’ll be a formidable outfit if Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes perform at their best. The signings of Andre Onana, Mason Mount, and Rasmus Hojlund are also a real statement of intent.
Old Trafford is a special place to be on big European nights, but it’s not always easy to secure a seat. Thankfully, SeatPick is the ideal place to buy Man United Champions League tickets.
6. Arsenal
There’s plenty of excitement in north London with Arsenal FC set to make their first appearance in the Champions League since the 2016/17 season. Despite this squad’s lack of experience in the competition, many pundits fancy this high-energy, fearless Arsenal side to go the distance in Europe.
Mikel Arteta’s young squad finished second to Manchester City in the Premier League last season. The Gunners two marquee summer signings both come with a winning mentality in Europe. Kai Havertz scored the winner for Chelsea in the 2020/21 Champions League final and club-record signing Declan Rice won the Europa Conference League with West Ham just months ago.
5. FC Barcelona
They may not be the same force they once were, but FC Barcelona are a club that can never be overlooked when considering Champions League contenders. The Spanish giants won the tournament five times between 1992-2015. The successful Pep Guardiola era is well and truly behind them, but youngsters like Pedri and Gavi reinvigorated the Camp Nou last season under Xavi’s management.
Barcelona comfortably beat Real Madrid to the La Liga title and will be confident of going far in the UEFA Champions League this year. The Catalan club will be playing in the 56,000 seater Olympic Stadium throughout the 2023/24 season due to Camp Nou renovations. Tickets will be harder to come by due to the reduced capacity, but fans who wish to be there can secure a Barcelona ticket on SeatPick, where we compare multiple ticket sellers to help fans find the best available seats.
4. PSG
Despite handing out mega-contracts to attract the world’s best players, Paris Saint-Germain are still yet to get their hands on the trophy they crave the most; the UEFA Champions League. They were eliminated in the first knockout round in each of the last two seasons.
However, there’s a new game plan in Paris for the 23/24 campaign. The PSG Galacticos era has been put to an end, with Leo Messi and Neymar leaving the club over the summer.
In their place, PSG have invested a modest €100m in Ousmane Dembele, Gonçalo Ramos, Hugo Ekitite, and Kang-in Lee to inject more energy into their attack. Plus, there’s still plenty of world-class talent in PSG’s squad, including Kylian Mbappe, Marquinhos, and Achraf Hakimi.
3. Real Madrid
While Manchester City may be the current holders, Los Blancos are the undisputed kings of European football. Real Madrid have won the Champions League on 14 occasions, last winning the competition in 2021/22. In the last 13 seasons, they’ve featured in a remarkable total of 11 Champions League semi-finals.
Real Madrid should never be underestimated in European football, and the club’s statement signing of Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund will surely improve their chances of achieving glory in this year’s competition. The Santiago Bernabeu is one of the most iconic stadiums in the world and fans can secure tickets to Real Madrid’s Champions League games via SeatPick.
2. Bayern Munich
The Bavarian giants are another club with a strong history in the UEFA Champions League, winning Europe’s top competition six times. Winners in 2019/20, Bayern Munich have failed to progress past the quarter-finals in each of the last three seasons, but their fans will be buoyed by the arrivals of Min-jae Kim from Napoli and Harry Kane from Tottenham.
Pep Guardiola will be wary of his former club after they smashed their transfer record to complete the £104m signing of Harry Kane. Bayern have finally found their Robert Lewandowski replacement, and he’ll be supported by world-class teammates such as Jamal Musiala, Leroy Sane, Serge Gnabry, Kingsley Coman, and Thomas Muller. Plus, in Thomas Tuchel, Bayern have a Champions League-winning manager.
1. Manchester City
The Citizens are clear favourites for the 23/24 Champions League, and it’s not hard to see why. With Erling Haaland leading the line, Man City thrashed RB Leipzig, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid in last season’s knockout rounds, before edging past Inter Milan to secure their first Champions League trophy.
Guardiola has not tinkered too much with his winning formula this summer, adding Josko Gvardiol to his defensive unit and Mateo Kovacic to the midfield. Manchester City will be the team to beat in the Champions League, and fans can see them live at an affordable price by checking out the available tickets on our platform.
How to Buy Champions League Tickets
The UEFA Champions League is the competition which gives fans the opportunity to see the best teams in Europe face off against one another. Tickets can sometimes be difficult to secure, but there’s always a way.
Fans can attempt to buy tickets from the club directly, although this can be tricky as they tend to prioritise loyal fans who regularly attend matches. It’s recommended to become a club member to boost your chances of securing tickets when they’re made available by the club in a ballot.
There’s still hope if you fail to buy Champions League tickets through the club. There are always plenty of options on the secondary ticket market and, on SeatPick, we compare tickets from trusted sellers to help fans find the best available seats online. All the Champions League tickets available on our site come with a 100% guarantee or more.
On the SeatPick UEFA Champions League page, you can find tickets for all the upcoming fixtures. Alternatively, you can visit the team’s page and browse their upcoming fixtures to buy Champions League tickets.
