FC Barcelona, ??framed in the toughest group in the Champions League, will a priori have the simplest possible debut of those that could touch it in the competition: they receive the Czech V. Pilsen at the Camp Nou on September 7. From there everything escalates. The second day, on September 13, will travel to Munich to face the almighty Bayern.
Days three and four, as almost always, will be key. On October 4, he will travel to Milan to face Inter and will receive the Italians on October 12 at the Camp Nou. On matchday five, on October 26, Lewandowski will receive his former Bayern teammates at the Camp Nou. And if the classification is played on the last day, Xavi’s men have the consolation of having to deal with V. Pilsen in the Czech Republic. That will be on November 1 and it would be normal for the Czech team to be out of options by then.
The Champions calendar used to be known on the same day that the drums made up the groups. On this occasion the process has lasted two days, according to UEFA, due to the complexity of already having three competitions and to take into account all the usual variables: that two teams do not play in the same city on the same day and reconcile television interests to prevent the teams with the most audience from playing at the same time.
Real Madrid, who fell into the most affordable group of all, will debut in the competition on September 6 at Ibrox Park in Glasgow against Celtic, along with Shakhtar, the team that in principle should fight for third place. Celtic is much stronger at home, in the heat of one of the “hottest” crowds in the British Isles.
Matchday two sees Madrid host the strongest of their contenders, Leipzig, on September 14. Then will come the two games against Shakhtar, the first at the Bernabeu on October 4 and the 11th at the Legia de Warsaw field, where the Ukrainian team will play this Champions League at home. In the fifth, the Whites travel to Leipzig on October 25 and close the group stage by hosting the Scots against Celtic on November 2.
For Atlético, the Champions League begins by receiving Porto and then travels to Leverkusen in Germany to play against Bayer. The two teams are old acquaintances of the mattresses. Matchday three and four will be against Bruges. In the fifth they host Bayer and in the last they return a visit to the Do Dragao stadium in a game that could be key.
Sevilla’s debut is at the Pizjuán hosting the great favourite, Guardiola’s Manchester City, on September 6. Lopetegui’s team then travels to Copenhagen and on matchdays three and four they play against Borussia Dortmund, a priori the team with which they will fight for second place. In the fifth the Andalusians receive the Danish team and in the last they pay a visit to the Etihad. Bad place to play the classification all or nothing. Perhaps his luck is that by then City already has the ticket to the round of 16.
Calendar of the FC Barcelona
07-09 (21:00): FC Barcelona – V. Pilsen
13-09 (21:00): Bayern Munich- FC Barcelona
04-10 (21:00): Inter – FC Barcelona
12-10 (21:00): FC Barcelona – Inter
26-10 (21:00): FC Barcelona – Bayern Munich
01-11 (21:00): V. Pilsen – FC Barcelona
Real Madrid Calendar
06-09 (21:00): Celtic-Real Madrid
14-09 (21:00): Real Madrid-Leipzig
04-10 (21:00): Real Madrid-Shakhtar
10-11 (21:00): Shakhtar-Real Madrid
25-10 (21:00): Leipzig-Real Madrid
02-11 (18:45): Real Madrid-Celtic
Atlético Calendar
07-09 (9:00 p.m.): Atlético – Porto
09-13 (21:00): Bayer Leverkusen – Atletico
04-10 (21:00): Bruges-Atletico
12-10 (18:45): Atlético- Bruges
26-10 (21:00): Atletico – Bayer Leverkusen
01-11 (18:45): Porto – Atlético
Seville calendar
06/09 (21:00): Sevilla – Manchester City
09/14 (21:00): Copenhagen – Seville
05/10 (21:00): Sevilla – B. Dortmund
11/10 (21:00): B. Dortmund – Sevilla
25/10 (21:00): Seville-Copenhagen
02/11 (21:00): Manchester City – Sevilla
