The revamped UEFA Champions League format launched today, August 29, 2024, and the draw for the new league stage, which has replaced the group stage, has been done.
The New UEFA Champions League Format
There will be weeks exclusively dedicated to the UEFA Champions League in the football calendar when no other European competitions are played.
The last match for all teams in the league stage will be played simultaneously, with UEFA Champions League matches to be played on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
UEFA Europa League matches be played on Wednesdays and Thursdays and Conference League matches will be played on Thursdays.
Note: In the weeks UEFA Champions League matches are played, Europa League and Conference matches will not be played, and that will also be the template for the other two competitions.
The UEFA Champions League league phase will commence on September 17, 2024, and end on January 29, 2025.
Let’s drive you straight to how the league stage draw unfolded;
Which Clubs Are In Which Pots?
Pot 1: Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool, Inter Milan, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, Barcelona
- – Pot 2: Bayer Leverkusen, Atletico Madrid, Atalanta, Juventus, Benfica, Arsenal, Club Brugge, Shakhtar Donetsk, AC Milan.
- – Pot 3: Feyenoord, Sporting Lisbon, PSV Eindhoven, Dinamo Zagreb, Red Bull Salzburg, Lille, Red Star Belgrade, Young Boys, Celtic.
- – Pot 4: Slovan Bratislava, Monaco, Sparta Prague, Aston Villa, Bologna, Girona, Stuttgart, Sturm Graz, Brest.
The UEFA Champions League League Stage Draw Proper
(h) – Home
(a) – Away
Pot 1
Manchester City’s opponents: Inter Milan (h), PSG (a), Club Brugge (h), Juventus (a), Feyenoord (h), Sporting CP (a), Sparta Prague (h), Slovan Bratislava (a)
Inter Milan’s opponents: RB Leipzig (h), Manchester City (a), Arsenal (h), Bayer Leverkusen (a), Crvena Zvezda (h), Young Boys (a), Monaco (h), Sparta Prague (a)
Bayern Munich’s opponents: PSG (h), Barcelona (a), Benfica (h), Shakhtar Donetsk (a), GNK Dinamo (h), Feyenoord (a), Solvan Bratislava (h), Aston Villa (a)
RB Leipzig’s opponents: Liverpool (h), Inter Milan (a), Juventus (h), Atletico Madrid (a), Sporting CP (h), Celtic (a), Aston Villa (h), Sturm Graz (a)
Borussia Dortmund’s opponents: Barcelona (h), Real Madrid (a), Shakhtar Donetsk (h), Club Brugge (a), Celtic (h), GNK Dinamo (a), Sturm Graz (h), Bologna (a)
Barcelona’s opponents: Bayern Munich (h), Borussia Dortmund (a), Atalanta (h), Benfica (a), Young Boys (h), Crvena Zvezda (a), Brest (h), Monaco (a)
Real Madrid’s opponents: Borussia Dortmund (h), Liverpool (a), AC Milan (h), Atalanta (a), Salzburg (h), Lille (a), Stuttgart (h), Brest (a)
Liverpool’s opponents: Real Madrid (h), RB Leipzig (a), Bayer Leverkusen (h), AC Milan (a), Lille (h), PSV (a), Bologna (h), Girona (a)
Paris Saint-Germain’s opponents: Man City (h), Bayern Munich (a), Atletico Madrid (h), Arsenal (a), PSV (h), Salzburg (a), Girona (h), Stuttgart (a)
Pot 2
Atletico Madrid’s opponents: RB Leipzig (h), PSG (a), Bayer Leverkusen (h), Benfica (a), Lille (h), Salzburg (a), Solvan Bratislava (h), Sparta Prague (a)
Atalanta’s opponents: Real Madrid (h), Barcelona (a), Arsenal (h), Shakhtar Donetsk (a), Celtic (h), Young Boys (a), Sturm Graz (h), Stuttgart (a)
Club Brugge’s opponents: Borussia Dortmund (h), Manchester City (a), Juventus (h), AC Milan (a), Sporting CP (h), Celtic (a), Aston Villa (h), Sturm Graz (a)
Bayer Leverkusen’s opponents: Inter Milan (h), Liverpool (a), AC Milan (h), Atletico Madrid (a), Salzburg (h), Feyenoord (a), Sparta Prague (h), Brest (a)
Arsenal’s opponents: PSG (h), Inter Milan (a), Shakhtar Donestsk (h), Atalanta (a), GNK Dinamo (h), Sporting CP, Monaco (h), Girona (a)
Benfica’s opponents: Barcelona (h), Bayern Munich (a), Atletico Madrid (h), Juventus (a), Feyenoord (h), Crvena Zvezda (a), Bologna (h), Monaco (a)
AC Milan opponents: Liverpool (h), Real Madrid (a), Club Brugge (h), Bayer Leverkusen (a), Crvena Zvezda (h), GNK Dinamo (a), Girona (h), Solvan Bratislava (a)
Juventus’ opponents: Man City (h), RB Leipzig (a), Benfica (h), Club Brugge (a), PSV (h), Lille (a), Stuttgart (h), Aston Villa (a)
Shakhtar Donetsk’s opponents: Bayern Munich (h), Borussia Dortmund (a), Atalanta (h), Arsenal (a), Young Boys (h), PSV (a), Brest (h), Boologna (a)
Pot 3
Young Boys’ opponents: Inter Milan (h), Barcelona (a), Atalanta (h), Shakhtar Donetsk (a), Crvena Zvedza (h), Celtic (a), Aston Villa (h), Stuttgart (a)
Lille’s opponents: Real Madrid (h), Liverpool (a), Juventus (h), Atletico Madrid (a), Feyenoord (h), Sporting CP (a), Sturm Graz (h), Bologna (a)
PSV’s opponents: Liverpool (h), PSG (a), Shakhtar Donetsk (h), Juventus (a), Sporting CP (h), Crvena Zvezda (a), Girona (h), Brest (a)
Feyenoord’s opponents: Bayern Munich (h), Manchester City (a), Bayer Leverkusen (h), Benfica (a), Salzburg (h), Lille (a), Sparta Prague (h), Girona (a)
GNK Dinamo’s opponents: Borussia Dortmund (h), Bayern Munich (a), AC Milan (h), Arsenal (a), Celtic (h), Salzburg (a), Monaco (h), Solvan Bratislava (a)
Crvena Zvezda’s opponents: Barcelona (h), Inter Milan (a), Benfica (h), AC Milan (a), PSV (h), Young Boys (a), Stuttgart (h), Monaco (a)
Red Bull Salzburg’s opponents: PSG (h), Real Madrid (a), Atletico Madrid (h), Bayer Leverkusen (a), GNK Dinamo (h),Feyenoord (a), Brest (h), Sparta Prague (a)
Celtic’s opponents: RB Leipzig (h), Borussia Dortmund (a), Club Brugge (h), Atalanta (a), Young Boys (h), GNK Dinamo (a), Solvan Bratislava (h), Aston Villa (a)
Sporting CP’s opponents: Man City (h), RB Leipzig (a), Arsenal (h), Club Brugge (a), Lille (h), PSV (a), Bologna (h), Sturm Graz (a)
Pot 4
Stuttgart’s opponents: PSG (h), Real Madrid (a), Atalanta (h), Juventus (a), Young Boys (h), Crvena Zvezda (a), Sparta Prague (h), Slovan Bratislava (a)
Girona’s opponents: Liverpool (h), PSG (a), Arsenal (h), AC Milan (h), Feyenoord (h), PSV (a), Slovan Bratislava (h), Sturm Graz (a)
Bologna’s opponents: Borussia Dortmund (h), Liverpool (A), Shakhtar Donetsk (h), Benfica (a), Lille (h), Sporting CP (a), Monaco (h), Aston Villa (a)
Brest’s opponents: Real Madrid (h), Barcelona (a), Bayer Leverkusen (h), Shakhtar Donetsk (a), PSV (h), Salzburg (a), Sturm Graz (h), Sparta Prague (a)
Aston Villa’s opponents: Bayern Munich (h), RB Leipzig (a), Juventus (h), Club, Brugge (a), Celtic (h), Young Boys (a), Bologna (h), Monaco (a)
Sparta Prague’s opponents: Inter Milan (h), Manchester City (a), Atletico Madrid (h), Bayer Leverkusen (a), Salzburg (h) Feyenoord (a), Brest (h), Stuttgart (a)
Slovan Bratislava opponents: Manchester City (h), Bayern Munich (a), AC Milan (h), Atletico Madrid (a), GNK Dinamo (h), Celtic (a), Stuttgart (h), Girona (a)
AS Monaco’s opponents: Barcelona (h), Inter Milan (a), Benfica (h), Arsenal (a), Crvena Zvezda (h), GNK Dinamo (a), Aston Villa (h), Bologna (a)
Sturm Graz’s opponents: RB Leipzig (h), Borussia Dortmund (a), Club Brugge (h), Atalanta (a), Sporting CP (h), Lille (a), Girona (h), Brest (a)
How Was The UEFA Champions League League Stage Draw Done?
Clubs were split into four pots consisting of nine teams, each based on their UEFA club coefficient.
Teams were then drawn automatically to face two opponents from each of the four pots, one at home and one away.
The Group Stage draw was automated for the first time in history, with each club drawn against eight separate opponents.
Moreover, no club could play another team from their own league (for example, Liverpool couldn’t play Manchester City).
A team could play no more than two clubs from one country (if Aston Villa drew Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen, they couldn’t then play VfB Stuttgart)
How Will The League Stage Unfold?
The teams have been placed in a 36-team league table, and they will play 8 matches to finish within the first 24 spots, but more so within the top 8.
At the culmination of the league phase, the top 8 teams will progress automatically into the round of 16.
Clubs that finish 9th to 24th will battle in a two-legged Knockout phase play-offs to qualify for the last 16.
Unlike the erstwhile format, no team will be dropped down the UEFA Europa League.
How Will The UEFA Champions League Knockout Phase Be?
The draw for the UEFA Champions League knockout phase play-offs will be decided based on their positions in the table, alongside other factors.
The winners of the two-legged ties will qualify to play against the top 8 in the last 16.
From the Round of 16, no changes have been made from the previous format.
Two-legged ties will be played up to the final, with the final being a one-off match.
The UEFA Champions League final will be held on May 31, 2025, at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany.
Cristiano Ronaldo Honoured By UEFA
Cristiano Ronaldo was also honored with a special award for being the UEFA Champions League’s all-time top goal scorer.
Ronaldo, who was seen hearty at the venue of the league stage draw, netted 140 goals in 183 UEFA Champions League matches.
