Over Tuesday and Wednesday (December 12 and 13), the top 32 teams in Europe will participate in their final group-stage fixture of the 2023-24 UEFA Champions League season.
Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Real Madrid, Real Sociedad, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Lazio, Manchester City, RB Leipzig, and Barcelona have already qualified for the Round of 16, meaning they have the freedom to experiment with their lineup in Gameweek 6. Then there are teams like Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), Borussia Dortmund, and FC Porto that will look to put their best foot forward on Matchday 6 to give themselves a fighting chance of securing knockout soccer.
Ahead of the highly anticipated final Matchday, we will look at the five teams that have struggled to keep the ball out of the net this season. Here are the five teams with the most goals conceded so far in the 2023-24 UEFA Champions League campaign:
#5 Red Star Belgrade (Group G) – 12 Goals
One-time UEFA Champions League winner Red Star Belgrade have been all over the place this season. Their unorganized backline has let in 12 goals while the attack has only mustered five goals, leading to a goal difference of -7.
They are without a win in five games in Group G, drawing once and losing four. Having already been knocked out, the Serbian outfit will play for pride when they take on Group G winner Manchester City on Wednesday.
#4 Galatasaray (Group A) – 12 Goals
Group A side Galatasaray have struggled to keep things nice and tidy at the back, conceding a whopping 12 goals in five Champions League games. Their transitions have not been the most efficient, making it easy for the opposition to pounce on the space left behind.
With five points on the board (1 win, 2 losses, 2 draws), Galatasaray are currently in third place in the Group A standings. They need to beat Copenhagen on Matchday 6 to join Group A leaders Bayern Munich in the Round of 16.
#3 Celtic (Group E) – 14 Goals
Scottish powerhouse Celtic have endured an abysmal Champions League campaign. They have failed to put pressure on their Group E opponents through their attack, with the unit only scoring thrice in five games. Their defending has also been poor, with them conceding 14 times already.
Celtic, who have a goal difference of -11, have not yet won a Champions League game this season. With one draw and four defeats to their name, they sit in fourth place with a solitary point. Irrespective of their result against Feyenoord on Matchday 6, Celtic will finish fourth in Group E.
#2 Manchester United (Group A): 14 Goals
Manchester United made an undesirable history in their 3-3 draw with Galatasaray on Matchday 5. They have now conceded 14 goals in the Champions League group stages, more than any other English team in history. They have also scored just 12 times in five games, taking their goal difference to -2.
Erik ten Hag’s side have only picked up four points from their five Champions League games so far (1 win, 1 draw, 3 losses). To qualify for the Round of 16, they first need to beat Bayern Munich and then hope Galatasaray and Copenhagen end up all-square at Parken.
#1 Royal Antwerp (Group H) – 15 Goals
At the summit sit Belgian Pro League club Royal Antwerp, having conceded 15 goals in five Champions League matches this season. Losing all five of their matches so far, Mark van Bommel’s side are the only team without a point in the Champions League this season.
Antwerp, who are fourth in the Belgian league rankings this season, have also been poor in front of goal. They have only scored thrice in Group H, which is the joint-lowest alongside RB Salzburg, Celtic, and AC Milan, after five games.
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