Manchester United's dream Champions League group for 2023-24

Manchester United will be back among Europe's elite next season.

Erik ten Hag has steered the Reds to a third-place finish in the Premier League and a spot in the Champions League group stage. It comes after a year's absence with United having been in the Europa League as often as the Champions League in recent times.

The Reds were knocked out by Sevilla in the quarter-finals of the second-tier competition this season. They have reached that stage of the Champions League just once since 2014.

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The 2023-24 competition will be the final edition with 32 teams in the group stage after UEFA announced a new format from 2024 onwards. This season's group stage draw takes place on August 31.

And, with the majority of European leagues now decided and most of the 32 group stage spots filled, we've taken a look at a dream scenario for United in next season's competition.

The Reds will be in pot two for next season's Champions League. Spanish giants Real Madrid, city rivals Atletico Madrid and Bundesliga pair Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig are among the sides United can't face in the group stage, along with Portuguese club Porto and Mikel Arteta's Arsenal.

The final team in pot two will be decided depending on the outcome of the Champions League final next month. If Manchester City win then Inter Milan will be in pot two. Should the Italian club prevail then Shakhtar Donetsk, the newly-crowned Ukrainian champions, will be accommodated.

That scenario would see Feyenoord, who beat Erik ten Hag's former side Ajax to the Dutch title, be among the top seeds. The winners of the Europa League final between Spanish side Sevilla, who knocked out United en route