Champions League group-stage draw live blog: The anticipation, buzz and reaction

European football has been back for some time. The Premier League, Bundesliga and Ligue 1 have been underway for nearly three weeks now. But the start of another Champions League season, when the continent’s premier clubs square off under the floodlights on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, that’s when the term “European football” truly comes to the fore.

And every Champions League campaign begins well before the group stage’s Matchday 1. Qualifying may have been happening since June, but it’s the group draw, tonight in Istanbul, is truly the beginning of all 32 participating clubs’ journey to the final on June 10 — back here, in the biggest city in Turkey.

Are you feeling the hype yet? Join us in the celebrations, as we bring you all the buzz, buildup and bravado as UEFA sets the field for the 2022-23 Champions League.

– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, MLS, more (U.S.)

Group A:

Group B:

Group C:

Group D:

Group E:

Group F:

Group G:

Group H:

LIVE BLOG

17.06 BST: Our voice of the Bundesliga, Derek Rae, is ready to get this show on the road. But the drama, Derek! The drama! And the pageantry!

17.00 BST: Places, everyone! Places! The show is about to begin!

16.54 BST: From the great Gab Marcotti: “This year’s draw, like last few years, is in Istanbul. Not many media in attendance, relative to where they traditionally host it: Monaco. Further away, more expensive flight and fewer Prince Alberts …”

16.45 BST: Need a refresher on how these 32 teams landed in Pots 1, 2, 3 and 4? Dale Johnson explains where Europe’s domestic champions qualify and how UEFA’s coefficient has set the stage for today’s draw. Read the full story.

16.39 BST: This is where the magic is about to happen.

16.28 BST: These are the pots all 32 clubs will be drawn from, with each group containing one team from each pot.

16.21 BST: Not a single name has been drawn yet, but we can already reveal a few insights about which groups some teams will land in, and how the scheduling will unfold throughout the group stage. Our Dale Johnson details which teams cannot be grouped together, and which cannot be scheduled to play on the same night.

16.07 BST: Before we get too carried away with the 2022-23 edition of the tournament, let’s take a moment to reflect on last season’s Champions League. UEFA have released their annual technical report of the previous campaign’s competition, and we’ve compiled the key takeaways from all 106 pages of analysis. Read the full story.

16.00 BST: Right, we are an hour away from the draw kicking into high gear, but let’s get this party started. Our Gab Marcotti is on the ground in Istanbul, sending along every last detail, so you don’t miss a moment of the day’s big event.

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