Defending champions Real Madrid will face a familiar foe and some newer challenges, as they attempt to win a record-extending 15th UEFA Champions League title this season.
Carlo Ancelotti's side will contest Group F along with RB Leipzig, Shakhtar Donetsk and Celtic in the 2022/23 group stage.
As the most successful club in European football by a wide margin, Los Blancos are Champions League royalty. Their 14 titles are double the haul of any other club, with AC Milan in second with seven.
Real Madrid have also never been eliminated in the group stage, holding a perfect 26-of-26 record since the group stage's introduction in 1995.
With last year's competition top scorer Karim Benzema leading the way, Madrid look a strong prospect to add yet another European cup to their bulging silverware cabinet this season.
MORE: Away goals no longer used to break ties, scrapped last year across all UEFA competitions
Real Madrid Champions League group and opponents in 2022/23
Real Madrid were drawn in Group F at the draw ceremony in Istanbul, Turkey. The top two teams from each group will progress to the knockout rounds.
Group F
- Real Madrid
- RB Leipzig
- Shakhtar Donetsk
- Celtic
RB Leipzig
German side Leipzig came third behind Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain in a tough Group A last season. They reached the semifinals of the Europa League before suffering a 3-2 aggregate defeat to Rangers.
Shakhtar Donetsk
Madrid and Shakhtar met in Group D last season. Los Blancos won 5-0 in the away fixture before a 2-1 victory in Spain, in which Karim Benzema scored his side's 1,000th goal in European club football's top competition. The sides also met in 2020/21, when Shakhtar stunned Real 3-2 on matchday one.
Celtic
Madrid and Celtic have not played each other in the modern Champions League. They last met in the quarterfinals of the 1979-80 European Cup, when the Spanish side recovered from a 2-0 first-leg defeat to progress 3-2 on aggregate, thanks to a late second-leg goal from Juanito.
MORE: Group stage draw time, date and procedures
Real Madrid Champions League odds
Real Madrid are currently 9/1 with Sky Bet, +850 with Draft Kings, 6.42 with Sports Interaction and 10.00 with Bet365 to win the UEFA Champions League.
The odds to win/qualify from Group F are currently:
| Club | Odds to win group (USA: FanDuel) | Odds: Win, Qualify (UK: SkyBet) | Odds to win group (Canada: SportsInteraction) | Odds to win group (Australia: Bet365) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real Madrid | -370 | 1/6, 1/50 | 1.18 | 1.20 |
| RB Leipzig | +550 | 5/1, 2/5 | 5.56 | 6.00 |
| Celtic | +1700 | 14/1, 2/1 | 13.77 | 15.00 |
| Shakhtar Donetsk | +5500 | 50/1, 10/1 | 45.70 | 51.00 |
Odds correct as of Aug. 26
Real Madrid Champions League fixtures 2022/23
Now Los Blancos have found out their three group-stage opponents, European governing body UEFA will create a group schedule in which Real Madrid will face the other three clubs home and away on the following dates:
| Matchday | Dates | Fixture | Time (UK) | Time (USA) | Time (Canada) | Time (Australia) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sept. 6-7, 2022 | @ Celtic | 20:00 BST | 15:00 ET | 15:00 ET | 05:00 AEST |
| 2 | Sept. 13-14, 2022 | vs. Leipzig | 20:00 BST | 15:00 ET | 15:00 ET | 05:00 AEST |
| 3 | Oct. 4-5, 2022 | vs. Shakhtar | 20:00 BST | 15:00 ET | 15:00 ET | 06:00 AEDT |
| 4 | Oct. 11-12, 2022 | @ Shakhtar | 20:00 BST | 15:00 ET | 15:00 ET | 06:00 AEDT |
| 5 | Oct. 25-26, 2022 | @ Leipzig | 20:00 BST | 15:00 ET | 15:00 ET | 06:00 AEDT |
| 6 | Nov. 1-2, 2022 | vs. Celtic | 20:00 GMT | 16:00 ET | 16:00 ET | 07:00 AEDT |
Should Madrid finish as one of the top two teams in their group at the conclusion of the six group-stage matches, they would advance to the knockout stages, beginning with the round of 16.
Here's the road to the final at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey.
| Round | 1st Leg | 2nd Leg |
|---|---|---|
| Round of 16 | Feb. 14-22, 2023 | Mar. 7-15, 2023 |
| Quarterfinals | Apr. 11-12, 2023 | Apr. 18-19, 2023 |
| Semifinals | May 9-10, 2023 | May 16-17, 2023 |
| Final | June 10, 2023 | |
Real Madrid history in the Champions League
Real Madrid are the most successful side in the history of European club football, having been crowned champions of the continent 14 times, double the number of any other side.
Los Blancos won the first five European competitions through the late 1950s and early 1960s.
Their fortunes took a downturn in European football after that, but they experienced a revival in the late 1990s and have been a dominant force in Europe ever since.
Over the last 10 seasons, Real Madrid have emerged victorious in half the Champions League competitions. They have exited the group stage in all 10, reaching at least the semifinals in all but two tournaments (2018/19 and 2019/20).
Real Madrid have never been eliminated in the group stage of the Champions League, since the tournament moved to its current format in 1995.
All of Real Madrid's European Cup/Champions League titles
| Season | Final | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | Real Madrid 1-0 Liverpool | Saint-Denis, France |
| 2017-18 | Real Madrid 3-1 Liverpool | Kyiv, Ukraine |
| 2016-17 | Juventus 1-4 Real Madrid | Cardiff, Wales |
| 2015-16 | Real Madrid* 1-1 Atletico Madrid | Milan, Italy |
| 2013-14 | Real Madrid 4-1 Atletico Madrid | Lisbon, Portugal |
| 2001-02 | Bayer Leverkusen 1-2 Real Madrid | Glasgow, Scotland |
| 1999-00 | Real Madrid 3-0 Valencia | Saint-Denis, France |
| 1997-98 | Juventus 0-1 Real Madrid | Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| 1965-66 | Real Madrid 2-1 Partizan Belgrade | Brussels, Belgium |
| 1959-60 | Real Madrid 7-3 Eintracht Frankfurt | Glasgow, Scotland |
| 1958-59 | Real Madrid 2-0 Reims | Stuttgart, Germany |
| 1957-58 | Real Madrid 3-2 AC Milan | Brussels, Belgium |
| 1956-57 | Real Madrid 2-0 Fiorentina | Madrid, Spain |
| 1955-56 | Reims 3-4 Real Madrid | Paris, France |
* Won via penalty shootout
Real Madrid's previous 10 Champions League appearances
| Season | Stage Reached | Eliminated by |
|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | Won | (beat Liverpool) |
| 2020-21 | Semifinals | Chelsea |
| 2019-20 | Round of 16 | Man City |
| 2018-19 | Round of 16 | Ajax |
| 2017-18 | Won | (beat Liverpool) |
| 2016-17 | Won | (beat Juventus) |
| 2015-16 | Won | (beat Atletico Madrid) |
| 2014-15 | Semi-finals | Juventus |
| 2013-14 | Won | (beat Atletico Madrid) |
| 2012-13 | Semi-final | Borussia Dortmund |
