UEFA Champions League: New Format Explained for the 2024-25 Season

The UEFA Champions League is undergoing a significant transformation for the 2024-25 season with an expanded format, bringing a fresh structure to Europe's most prestigious football competition. Here’s everything you need to know about the changes, the new format, key fixtures, and the tournament schedule.

2024-25 Champions League Format: Key Changes

The biggest change for this season is the introduction of a league phase that replaces the traditional group stage. Here’s how the new system works:

• 36 teams will compete in the league phase, up from 32 in previous seasons.
• Each team will play eight games: four home and four away matches, facing different opponents each time.
• The teams will be drawn into four pots, based on UEFA coefficient rankings. Each team will play against two teams from each pot.
• Unlike the old format, there will be no fixed groups of four teams playing home and away matches against each other.

Qualification for Knockout Stages

• The top 8 teams in the league phase standings will automatically qualify for the Round of 16.
• Teams finishing between 9th and 24th place will enter a two-legged knockout play-off to secure their place in the Round of 16.
• Teams finishing in 25th to 36th place will be eliminated from the Champions League and will not qualify for any other European competition for the rest of the season.

This format introduces more variety in matchups and increases the chances for clubs from different countries to face each other early in the competition.

Champions League Fixtures and Dates

The 2024-25 UEFA Champions League kicks off on Tuesday, September 16, 2024, with the opening games of the league phase. Here are the key matchday fixtures and dates:

Matchday 1 (September 16-18, 2024)

• Young Boys vs Aston Villa – September 16, 12:45 PM
• Juventus vs PSV Eindhoven – September 16, 12:45 PM
• AC Milan vs Liverpool – September 16, 3:00 PM
• Real Madrid vs Stuttgart – September 16, 3:00 PM
• Manchester City vs Inter Milan – September 17, 3:00 PM
• PSG vs Girona – September 17, 3:00 PM
• Monaco vs Barcelona – September 18, 3:00 PM
• Atletico Madrid vs RB Leipzig – September 18, 3:00 PM

Matchday 2 (October 1-2, 2024)

• RB Salzburg vs Brest – October 1, 12:45 PM
• Arsenal vs PSG – October 1, 3:00 PM
• Bayer Leverkusen vs AC Milan – October 1, 3:00 PM
• Aston Villa vs Bayern Munich – October 2, 3:00 PM
• Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund – October 2, 3:00 PM
• Benfica vs Atletico Madrid – October 2, 3:00 PM

Matchday 3 (October 22-23, 2024)

• Aston Villa vs Bologna – October 22, 3:00 PM
• Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund – October 22, 3:00 PM
• Barcelona vs Bayern Munich – October 23, 3:00 PM
• Atletico Madrid vs Lille – October 23, 3:00 PM
• Manchester City vs Sparta Prague – October 23, 3:00 PM

Matchday 4 (November 5-6, 2024)

• PSV Eindhoven vs Girona – November 5, 12:45 PM
• Real Madrid vs AC Milan – November 5, 3:00 PM
• Inter Milan vs Arsenal – November 6, 3:00 PM
• PSG vs Atletico Madrid – November 6, 3:00 PM

Matchday 5 (November 26-27, 2024)

• Barcelona vs Brest – November 26, 3:00 PM
• Bayern Munich vs PSG – November 26, 3:00 PM
• Inter Milan vs RB Leipzig – November 26, 3:00 PM
• Aston Villa vs Juventus – November 27, 3:00 PM
• Liverpool vs Real Madrid – November 27, 3:00 PM

Matchday 6 (December 10-11, 2024)

• Atalanta vs Real Madrid – December 10, 3:00 PM
• Borussia Dortmund vs Barcelona – December 11, 3:00 PM
• Juventus vs Manchester City – December 11, 3:00 PM

Matchday 7 (January 21-22, 2025)

• Monaco vs Aston Villa – January 21, 12:45 PM
• Atletico Madrid vs Bayer Leverkusen – January 21, 3:00 PM
• Red Star Belgrade vs PSV Eindhoven – January 21, 3:00 PM
• Feyenoord vs Bayern Munich – January 22, 3:00 PM
• PSG vs Manchester City – January 22, 3:00 PM

Matchday 8 (January 29, 2025)

• Aston Villa vs Celtic – January 29, 3:00 PM
• Barcelona vs Atalanta – January 29, 3:00 PM
• PSV Eindhoven vs Liverpool – January 29, 3:00 PM
• Brest vs Real Madrid – January 29, 3:00 PM

Knockout Stage Details

Once the league phase concludes, the competition moves into the knockout rounds:

• Knockout Play-offs: February 11-12 & 18-19, 2025
• Round of 16: March 4-5 & 11-12, 2025
• Quarter-finals: April 8-9 & 15-16, 2025
• Semi-finals: April 29-30 & May 6-7, 2025
• Final: May 31, 2025, at the Allianz Arena in Munich

How Teams Progress

• The top 8 teams in the league phase standings will qualify automatically for the Round of 16.
• Teams finishing between 9th and 24th will enter a two-legged knockout play-off for a chance to reach the Round of 16.
• Teams finishing in 25th to 36th place will be eliminated and will not participate in any other European competitions for the season.

Conclusion

The new format of the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League is designed to increase the number of high-profile matchups and create more competitive balance across the tournament. With more games and a wider pool of opponents, the league phase is set to be full of excitement before the knockout stages.

Fans can look forward to marquee matchups from the first matchday all the way through to the final on May 31, 2025, at the Allianz Arena in Munich.