Soccer

Champions League Draw REVEALED! And how the new-look tournament will work

Photo of Nicky Nicky29/08/2024 - 05:53 pm
The Champions League Draw is revealed!
(Photo by Valerio Pennicino - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

The stage is set for the 2024/25 Champions League season as the highly anticipated draw has been revealed, featuring some of the world’s top clubs like Barcelona, Real Madrid, Arsenal, Manchester City, and Liverpool. With these powerhouses now knowing their opponents, excitement is building as we edge closer to the start of Europe’s most prestigious club competition.

This season marks the first under the new-look format, adding an extra layer of intrigue to the tournament. With changes to the group stages and knockout rounds, the competition is set to be more thrilling and unpredictable than ever. The journey to crown the first champion of this new era is about to begin, and fans across the globe can’t wait to see how it unfolds.

A New Dawn: The Champions League 2024/25 Format Explained 

The Champions League Draw

Pot 1 Fixtures:

The new Champions League format will take some getting used to. Essentially though, there are no more group stages. There are pots. Each team will have an entirely different fixture list to every other team.

fixtures on pot 1
Pot 1 Fixtures

Pot 2 Fixtures:

Pot 2 has some excellent teams. Arsenal, AC Milan, Leverkusen, Juventus and Atletico Madrid are all teams that could even go all the way in this competition.

fixtures on pot 2
Pot 2 Fixtures

Pot 3 Fixtures:

Here you have it. Pot 3 in all its glory.

fixtures on pot 3
Pot 3 Fixtures

Pot 4 Fixtures:

It’s a strong Pot 4. Aston Villa, Monaco and Girona are all candidates for the knockout rounds. Villa have the chance to cause upsets when Bayern Munich and Juventus head to Villa Park.

Pot 4 Fixtures

Manchester City Fixtures:

Manchester City start off with a difficult game hosting Inter Milan, followed by a tough trip to Paris. It gets gradually easier though for the Sky Blues, as they host Sparta Prague and head to Slavia Bratislava in their final two games.

Inter Milan Fixtures:

Trips to the Etihad and Bayer Leverkusen will be tough, as will hosting Arsenal, but Inter Milan should have the quality to progress from this group.

Real Madrid Fixtures:

The Champions League winners have a difficult group, but their star power can fire them past any team. Having Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappé, Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo, Arda Guler and Endrick in one squad should actually be illegal, but they have it. Expect them to put up a strong challenge for the title.

Barcelona Fixtures:

Barcelona don’t have the best record against Bayern Munich and they’ve been drawn against them AGAIN. They might still have nightmares about that 8-2 defeat…

Arsenal Fixtures:

Arsenal keep improving under Mikel Arteta, they look amazing. They’ve never won a Champions League, could this be their year?

Liverpool Fixtures:

Hosting Real Madrid is always exciting! The six-time UCL Champions are without Jurgen Klopp for the first time since 2015, but are already coming to life under new manager Arne Slot.

Atletico Madrid Fixtures:

Atletico Madrid have been dealt a relatively easy hand. With their summer spending and new striker Julian Alvarez, Los Colchoneros could have a great UCL campaign.

PSG Fixtures:

PSG have it TOUGH. City, Bayern, Atletico and Arsenal is a seriously tough fixture list. Good luck to them…

Dortmund Fixtures:

Dortmund have been drawn to play against both Barcelona AND their Champions League final opponents and champions Real Madrid. It’s not going to be easy for them…

AC Milan Fixtures

Liverpool AND Real Madrid?! Not the easiest start for AC Milan in the new Champions League format, but facing Liverpool at the San Siro gives them a massive advantage.

Bayern Munich Fixtures

Can Harry Kane finally break his trophy duck?

How does the new Champions League tournament work?

The Champions League 2024/25 heralds a transformative era, characterized by an expansion from 32 to 36 participating teams in the league phase. This significant enlargement not only amplifies the scale of Europe’s premier club competition but also heralds a new dawn of inclusivity and opportunity for clubs across the continent.

Unlike the traditional group stage setup, which featured 32 teams divided into eight groups, the Swiss model introduces a dynamic league phase where 36 clubs vie for supremacy in a single, unified competition. This departure from convention not only expands the tournament’s scope but also injects a renewed sense of excitement and anticipation into every fixture.

Real Madrid won the final edition of the Champions League as we know it
(Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images)

Under this innovative structure, teams will face a diverse group of challengers drawn from different seeding pots, resulting in a broader range of matchups and strategic encounters. Each club will engage in eight enthralling contests, navigating a twisted landscape of competition where every point earned carries profound implications for their journey to glory.

By embracing the Swiss model, the new format offers a platform for unprecedented spectacle and drama, where traditional powerhouses collide with rising stars in a symphony of skill and ambition. Fans can relish the prospect of witnessing top-tier clashes between revered giants and emerging talents, as the tournament transcends boundaries to deliver a truly global spectacle.

Champions League 2024/25 Key Dates

The first draw for the ‘league’ (group) stages under the new format took place on the 29th of August 2024.

When are the 2024/25 Champions League league-stage matches?

StageDates
Matchday 117-19 September 2024
Matchday 21-2 October 2024
Matchday 322-23 October 2024
Matchday 45-6 November 2024
Matchday 526-27 November 2024
Matchday 610-11 December 2024
Matchday 721-22 January 2025
Matchday 829 January 2025
Champions League Draw Stage – fixtures dates
Knockout round play-offs11-12 February, 18-19 February 2025
Round of 164-5 March, 11-12 March 2025
Quarter-finals29th January 2025
Semi-finals29-30 April, 6-7 May 2025
UCL Final31 May 2025
Key Dates
Bukayo Sake loves the Champions League!
(Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

By Nicky Helfgott / @NickyHelfgott1 on Twitter (X)

Keep up with all the latest Champions League news and live scores on the 365Scores website and app!

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Photo of Nicky Nicky29/08/2024 - 05:53 pm