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Newcastle United face a brutally tough draw on their return to the Champions League after being dropped in group F with Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan. Manchester United are up against Harry Kane’s Bayern Munich in group A along with Turkish champions Galatasaray, and new striker Rasmus Hojlund will also face his old side Copenhagen. Arsenal will play Europa League champions Sevilla as well as PSV Eindhoven and Lens, while holders Manchester City will take on RB Leipzig, Young Boys and Red Star Belgrade. Like Newcastle, Celtic were in pot four and also face a tricky group against Dutch champions Feyenoord, Atletico Madrid and Lazio. The fixtures will begin on Tuesday 19 September and wrap up on Wednesday 13 December. Champions League 2023/24 group stage schedule Matchday 1 19 September AC Milan vs Newcastle (17:45) Young Boys vs Leipzig (17:45) Feyenoord vs Celtic (20:00) Lazio vs Atlético de Madrid (20:00) Paris vs Dortmund (20:00) Man City vs Crvena zvezda (20:00) Barcelona vs Antwerp (20:00) Shakhtar Donetsk vs Porto (20:00) 20 September Galatasaray vs Copenhagen (17:45) Real Madrid vs Union Berlin (17:45) Bayern vs Man United (20:00) Sevilla vs Lens (20:00) Arsenal vs PSV Eindhoven (20:00) Braga vs Napoli (20:00) Benfica vs Salzburg (20:00) Real Sociedad vs Inter (20:00) Matchday 2 3 October Union Berlin vs Braga (17:45) Salzburg vs Real Sociedad (17:45) Man United vs Galatasaray (20:00) Copenhagen vs Bayern (20:00) Lens vs Arsenal (20:00) PSV Eindhoven vs Sevilla (20:00) Napoli vs Real Madrid (20:00) Inter vs Benfica (20:00) 4 October Atlético de Madrid vs Feyenoord (17:45) Antwerp vs Shakhtar Donetsk (17:45) Celtic vs Lazio (20:00) Dortmund vs Milan (20:00) Newcastle vs Paris (20:00) Leipzig vs Man City (20:00) Crvena zvezda vs Young Boys (20:00) Porto vs Barcelona (20:00) Matchday 3 24 October Galatasaray vs Bayern (17:45) Inter vs Salzburg (17:45) Man United vs Copenhagen (20:00) Sevilla vs Arsenal (20:00) Lens vs PSV Eindhoven (20:00) Braga vs Real Madrid (20:00) Union Berlin vs Napoli (20:00) Benfica vs Real Sociedad (20:00) 25 October Feyenoord vs Lazio (17:45) Barcelona vs Shakhtar Donetsk (17:45) Celtic vs Atlético de Madrid (20:00) Paris vs Milan (20:00) Newcastle vs Dortmund (20:00) Leipzig vs Crvena zvezda (20:00) Young Boys vs Man City (20:00) Antwerp vs Porto (20:00) Matchday 4 7 November Dortmund vs Newcastle (17:45) Shakhtar Donetsk vs Barcelona (17:45) Atlético de Madrid vs Celtic (20:00) Lazio vs Feyenoord (20:00) Milan vs Paris (20:00) Man City vs Young Boys (20:00) Crvena zvezda vs Leipzig (20:00) Porto vs Royal Antwerp (20:00) 8 November Napoli vs Union Berlin (17:45) Real Sociedad vs Benfica (17:45) Bayern vs Galatasaray (20:00) Copenhagen vs Man United (20:00) Arsenal vs Sevilla (20:00) PSV Eindhoven vs Lens (20:00) Real Madrid vs Braga (20:00) Salzburg vs Inter (20:00) Matchday 5 28 November Lazio vs Celtic (17:45) Shakhtar Donetsk vs Antwerp (17:45) Feyenoord vs Atlético de Madrid (20:00) Paris vs Newcastle (20:00) Milan vs Dortmund (20:00) Man City vs Leipzig (20:00) Young Boys vs Crvena zvezda (20:00) Barcelona vs Porto (20:00) 29 November Galatasaray vs Man United (17:45) Sevilla vs PSV Eindhoven (17:45) Bayern vs Copenhagen (20:00) Arsenal vs Lens (20:00) Real Madrid vs Napoli (20:00) Braga vs Union Berlin (20:00): Benfica vs Inter (20:00) Real Sociedad vs Salzburg (20:00) Matchday 6 12 December Lens vs Sevilla (17:45) PSV Eindhoven vs Arsenal (17:45) Man United vs Bayern (20:00) Copenhagen vs Galatasaray (20:00) Napoli vs Braga (20:00) Union Berlin vs Real Madrid (20:00) Inter vs Real Sociedad (20:00) Salzburg vs Benfica (20:00) 13 December Leipzig vs Young Boys (17:45) Crvena zvezda vs Man City (17:45) Atlético de Madrid vs Lazio (20:00) Celtic vs Feyenoord (20:00) Dortmund vs Paris (20:00) Newcastle vs Milan (20:00) Porto vs Shakhtar Donetsk (20:00) Antwerp vs Barcelona (20:00) When is the Champions League final? The final will take place at London’s Wembley Stadium on 1 June 2024. Read More Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino understands Thiago Silva’s frustration Kyle Walker says Man City ‘start at the bottom of the mountain’ this season AC Milan’s Fikayo Tomori relishing clash with former team-mate Sandro Tonali Pep Guardiola challenges Man City to win back-to-back Champions League titles Aaron Wan-Bissaka injury adds to Manchester United’s list of problems Manchester United are a mess — and it could be about to get even worse

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A leading Saudi Arabian human rights activist says Newcastle are being used as a “tool” to legitimise Mohammed bin Salman’s regime and urged supporters not to underestimate the power of protest. Members of the NUFC Fans Against Sportswashing group are set to stage a demonstration outside St James’s Park on Friday night, prior to the first of two international friendlies set to be staged by the Saudis at the venue this month. Lina al-Hathloul, whose sister Loujain was imprisoned and tortured after leading a campaign to allow women to drive in her homeland, was on Tyneside this week to stress that shows of dissent can still have a significant impact on the actions of the regime. More than two years after Newcastle’s controversial takeover by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, the small minority of dissenters among the club’s fan-base is refusing to give up hope of pricking the consciences of enough fellow supporters to make an impression. Speaking at a public meeting close to the stadium, Hathloul said: “They (the Saudi regime) really think that they’ve bought everyone’s silence, but you should not underestimate the power one word can have. “We’re still in a phase where image is important for the Saudi regime. That’s why they do as much as they can to cover up the (human rights) violations. We're not asking you to choose to love your club or to speak up - both can work together. You can be happy about Newcastle winning and still criticise what is happening in Saudi Lina al-Hathloul “We’re not asking you to choose to love your club or to speak up – both can work together. You can be happy about Newcastle winning and still criticise what is happening in Saudi.” Saudi Arabia’s two friendlies, against Costa Rica on Friday and South Korea four days later, are widely regarded as further proof of the regime’s links to the takeover, despite “legally binding assurances” given to the Premier League in 2021 that it had no such influence. Al-Hathloul called the Saudi claim a “lie”, adding: “I love my national team, and for me it’s always difficult to dissociate the regime and what I love about my country. “[But] when has the Saudi national team played abroad in a friendly? It is very rare, and now it really is a coincidence that they are playing in Newcastle. “So we see the Saudi government is using Newcastle as a tool now to push their agenda.” Loujain al-Hathloul was released in February 2021 after spending 1,001 days in jail under counter-terrorism laws. Al-Hathloul and her family continue to live under restrictions that prevent them leaving the country. Newcastle have been contacted for a response. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Dan Cole ready for ‘dangerous’ Argentina in England’s World Cup opener Manchester United taking abuse allegations made against Antony ‘seriously’ Bukayo Saka keen to improve after winning England men’s player of the year again

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Over the last few weeks, in what has been a highly pressurised period in games, the Manchester United squad have noted a shift in training. Erik ten Hag has been doing a conspicuous amount of fitness work. Some players feel this has been more of a focus than tactical sessions. Critics and opposition analysts might well say that’s obvious, given that even FC Copenhagen dominated the ball for long periods of that Champions League-saving win at Old Trafford. One of the themes of the season has been how United just haven’t played anything close to Ten Hag’s supposed tactical ideal. Many of the recent games have actually been reminiscent of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s time, especially in how individual inspiration has brought wins out of unconvincing collective displays. That’s also why their fitness work may be important. Durability has been one of the few current qualities keeping United going, and may well prevent Ten Hag from emulating Solskjaer in another way. It may stop them from going out in the group stage again, just as they did in 2020-21. Early elmination isn’t just something that should be put at Solskjaer’s feet, though, nor is it the sole motivation for Wednesday’s game in the Danish capital. United are in some way playing for their modern Champions League legacy. The club’s dismal recent record in the world’s elite competition is as telling a measure as any other of their recent malaise. They may have never dropped out of thhe Deloitte Football Money League top five in terms of revenue, but they barely trouble the Champions League last eight. United haven’t even been to the last four since 2011, which was also the last time they reached the final. In the time since, United have qualified for the competition eight times and gone out at the group stage three times. That is more than they’ve reached the quarter-finals, which has been just twice. Among the clubs to finish above them in their groups since then are Benfica, Basel, PSV Eindhoven, Wolfsburg, Leipzig and Paris Saint-Germain. One of a few ambitions for Copenhagen here is to become another name on a fairly moderate list. They’re well aware they can claim a potentially decisive result, as performance in the 1-0 defeat at Old Trafford showed. Copenhagen got significant confidence from it, despite is ending. They know they should have claimed at least a draw, only for Andre Onana to stop Jordan Larsson’s penalty in what could yet prove to be a hinge moment in the campaign. For the moment, the feeling in Copenhagen is one of huge excitement. It can be sensed in all of their pre-match talk, and how they consider themselves favourites. Ten Hag was diplomatic there. “They are entitled to feel like they are favourites,” the United coach said, before playing all that down. “We’ll go into the game with confidence and aiming to win as well.” That latter point may have raised more eyebrows than Copenhagen’s proclamation since United just do not look like a confident side right now. They instead seem to be playing with the knowledge that one thing going wrong can lead to everything going wrong. A relatively fortuitous late 1-0 win at Fulham doesn’t wave away what happened against Manchester City and Newcastle United. A second victory in a row would admittedly help a bit more, especially one so important for their Champions League future. That sums up where United are right now. It’s like they’re constantly just trying to just get through it, to get to the next step in order to give themselves, the many injured players and their manager some breathing space. Bigger ideas about tactical philosophies can wait. Ten Hag referenced this when he discussed how to improve performance. “By getting more to our best 11 and getting routines in the team. So far, we’ve had to change a lot. The midfield balance is also not there. I'm sure once we get there, we’ll play better.” This is one match when they can’t afford to wait. Otherwise, it will be more of the same in the Champions League, while making that record worse. Ten Hag badly needs to avoid defeat. Physical form can be decisive there, since United do just have higher quality than Copenhagen. That might make it another of those where superior execution late on proves decisive. It shouldn’t really be coming down to games like this, though, when the financial gap between the two clubs is so vast. You just wouldn’t guess it from United’s Champions League record. Read More Rumours: Chelsea and Man Utd want £43m full-back as Arsenal delay Toney chase Jacob Neestrup: Parken atmosphere is 100 times more intense than Old Trafford Manchester United receive devastating Casemiro injury update Alejandro Garnacho to face no punishment over Andre Onana gorilla emoji post What do Arsenal, Man City, Man United and Newcastle need to reach last UCL 16? Christian Eriksen’s trip to Copenhagen is a homecoming with a difference