The draw for the 2023-24 edition of the UEFA Champions League was held this past Thursday, which showed which teams FC Barcelona will be facing in the group stage of the Champions League this season.
Now, UEFA has also announced the schedule for the matches of the group stage, as Barcelona look to get the better of Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk, and Royal Antwerp. The Catalans will kick off their Champions League journey on 19th September, and conclude the group stage matches by 13th December.
Details of the matches that Barcelona are expected to play in this group stage are given below:
FC Barcelona vs Royal Antwerp
- Matchday: 1
- Date: Tuesday, 19th September
- Venue: Montjuic Stadium
Barcelona will open their Champions League account this season against Royal Antwerp on 19th September. This match will be a reunion between FC Barcelona and their former midfielder, Mark van Bommel, who is currently managing the Belgian side. Barcelona are expected to get a win in this match without exerting themselves too much.
FC Porto vs FC Barcelona
- Matchday: 2
- Date: Wednesday, 4th October
- Venue: Estadio de Dragao
The second match will take FC Barcelona to Portugal, where they will face one of the best teams in Portugal, i.e., FC Porto. The first tie between these two sides will be played out in Estadio de Dragao, as Xavi’s men will be facing their toughest opponents in this group stage.
FC Barcelona vs Shakhtar Donetsk
- Matchday: 3
- Date: Wednesday, 25th October
- Venue: Montjuic Stadium
Barcelona will face another tough opponent in their third matchday of the group stage, as they face Shakhtar Donetsk in this match. While the Catalans clearly have the quality to comfortably see off the Ukrainians, Donetsk has shown multiple times in recent years that they can be a problem for top European teams.
Shakhtar Donetsk vs FC Barcelona
- Matchday: 4
- Date: Tuesday, 7th November
- Venue: Volksparkstadion
The Catalans and the Ukrainians will face off each other once again following their first match in the reverse fixture. The match will be played in Hamburg, Germany, because of the situation in Ukraine.
FC Barcelona vs FC Porto
- Matchday: 5
- Date: Tuesday, 28th November
- Venue: Montjuic Stadium
The return fixture against FC Porto will take place on 28th November, with the game being played at Barcelona’s home ground this time. The final standings of the group might have already taken place when the tie occurs, with both these contenders the favorites to advance from the group.
FC Barcelona vs Royal Antwerp
- Matchday: 6
- Date: Wednesday, 13th December
- Venue: Bosuilstadion
The Catalans will play their last group stage match against Royal Antwerp in Belgium and then conclude this stage of the tournament.
The road to the knock-out stages is not as difficult for the Blagranes this season as it was for the last two seasons, when the Catalans were unable to advance from this stage. Porto, Antwerp, and Donetsk seem to be easily manageable.
However, Barcelona will still have to fight a mental battle as they have been unable to fight off their demons in the Champions League for some seasons now.
