The much-anticipated draw for the league stage of the revamped UEFA Champions League took place on Thursday, showcasing an array of exhilarating matchups that promise a thrilling season ahead.
Defending champions Real Madrid are set to face traditional rivals Liverpool, while a rematch of last season’s final will see the Spanish giants pit against Borussia Dortmund once again.
In a significant shift from previous formats, all 36 clubs will compete in a single league rather than being divided into groups. Each team will play eight matches against eight different opponents, increasing the stakes as the competition intensifies.
Real Madrid, fresh from securing their record-extending 15th European title and bolstered by the recent signing of French superstar Kylian Mbappe, will host AC Milan and travel to Atalanta as part of their challenging fixture list. The Spanish side bested Atalanta in this year’s UEFA Super Cup, setting the stage for a highly-anticipated rematch.
Liverpool, returning to the Champions League after a season’s absence, has drawn notable opponents including Milan and tournament newcomers Girona. Anfield supporters will eagerly await the visit of German champions Bayer Leverkusen, managed by former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso.
Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, winners of the competition in 2023, will face robust challenges from Italian champions Inter Milan and historic clubs Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus. The Cityzens were also paired against lesser-known teams like Club Brugge, Sparta Prague, and Slovan Bratislava, who are newcomers to the expanded Champions League format.
Among other exciting pairings, Bayern Munich will clash with both PSG and Barcelona, while Arsenal will battle Inter and Paris, adding further intrigue to the league stage.
“It is the best competition in the world with the best clubs in the world,” asserted PSG’s Qatari president, Nasser al-Khelaifi. “With the new format, it will be harder, but that is what we like.”
The Champions League has expanded from 32 to 36 clubs, with teams drawn from four seeded pots of nine during the ceremony. The draw process was streamlined this year, with former Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon drawing teams while Cristiano Ronaldo activated the computer to reveal opponents, ensuring a timely event unlike previous years that could stretch for hours.
Aston Villa is making its modern Champions League debut, having been handed high-profile fixtures against Bayern Munich and Juventus. The English side previously defeated Bayern in the 1982 European Cup final but lost to Juve in the following season’s quarter-finals.
New entrants such as French club Brest and Girona are set for their first Champions League experiences, with formidable clashes against elite clubs like Real Madrid and Liverpool.
The first matches of the group stage will kick off on September 17, 18, and 19, with specific fixture dates to be announced by UEFA on Saturday. The tournament also introduces two additional matchdays taking place in January, after which the top eight clubs will progress directly to the last 16. Teams ranked 9th to 24th will contest a playoff round to fill the remaining spots.
In a notable change, the bottom 12 teams will face elimination from the competition, with no possibility of parachuting down into the Europa League as was previously allowed.
Financially, the Champions League offers increased rewards this season, with the total prize pool rising by 25% to nearly €2.5 billion. The tournament victors could earn over €86 million in prize money alone, underscoring the competition’s growing prestige.
As the excitement brews ahead of the September kickoff, fans across Europe await the thrilling matches that the new Champions League format promises to deliver.
