CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Attract: Newcastle encounter team of demise on their return to Europe’s prime table as Male United are handed hard Bayern Munich exam, Arsenal get blessed and Town consider on Leipzig once more

Newcastle United will plunge back again into the Champions League at the deep stop from the former champions of AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund and the French billionaires led by Kylian Mbappe at Paris Saint-Germain.

The draw heralds a thrilling return to Europe’s elite after an absence of additional than 20 years, with Eddie Howe’s crew and the Geordie trustworthy set for three of the most legendary venues in globe soccer.

The environment guarantees to be off the scale in all 6 ties. Not minimum on Tyneside, in which the prospect of these video games is positive to rekindle reminiscences of their wonderful European nights of the earlier, which include Tino Aspilla’s hat-trick in 1997 to topple a Barcelona group featuring Rivaldo, Luis Figo and Luis Enrique, the latest PSG manager.

St James’ Park pulsated then and will do so once more when the Champions League commences on September 19.

Newcastle’s last flavor of this competition arrived from Bayer Leverkusen in February 2003, when Alan Shearer grabbed one more hat-trick but a 3-1 victory in the now-defunct second team phase was not ample to development.

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They unsuccessful to make it by way of the qualifiers in 2003-04, overwhelmed by Partizan Belgrade – and the accurate reward for last season’s accomplishment, finishing fourth in the Leading League, is a minor much more tangible when these ties are marked into the diaries.

At a look, it appears to be as tricky as any of the eight drawn on Thursday in Monaco by Joe Cole and Eric Abidal, even though Howe may quietly fancy his possibility of springing surprises as the outsiders in Team F.

Milan, with some acquainted previous Premier League players in their ranks including England internationals Fikayo Tomori and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, only just squeezed past Tottenham final year, Dortmund have missing Jude Bellingham and PSG are in flux when once again, with Neymar and Lionel Messi gone.

Howe also has Sandro Tonali, signed by Newcastle from Milan for £55million, for within understanding on the Italians, who finished fourth in Serie A.

Bellingham’s initially Champions League campaign with Serious Madrid pits him towards Italian champions Napoli, Braga and debutants Union Berlin.

Manchester United will arrive up versus Harry Kane’s Bayern Munich in Team A. The repeat of the 1999 last is a mouth-watering prospect, whilst the two will anticipate to qualify from a team also involving FC Copenhagen and Wilf Zaha’s Galatasaray.

United’s fixture in opposition to Galatasaray in Istanbul will stir up reminiscences of the infamous “Welcome to Hell” contest, 30 a long time ago in October.

Arsenal will be relieved to have averted Kane and Bayern. The England captain built a habit of scoring against them for Tottenham and the German champions scarred them with a 10-2 aggregate defeat on their final look in the Champions League.

It has been a very long six many years since. They were being a fixture beneath Arsene Wenger but Mikel Arteta’s crew return in what appears to be light manner following a six-12 months absence.

Team B is minimal on mileage and, with PSV, Lens and Europa League winners Sevilla, none of the traditional heavyweights.

Team G will keep couple fears for holders Manchester Metropolis. They will be up when far more against Leipzig, who they thrashed 7- at the Etihad Stadium in March on the way to lifting the trophy for the first time, Crvena Zvezda (Pink Star) of Serbia and Youthful Boys of Switzerland.

Erling Haaland, who scored five in the romp against Leipzig, was named men’s player of the 12 months for 2022/23 at the UEFA ceremony. Sarina Wiegman won women’s mentor of the 12 months, and focused the award to the Spain players who beat her England side in the Globe Cup closing, very last month.