By Ayo Kehinde
The UEFA Champions League organisers have introduced a new format for the 2024/2025 season which would host 36 teams.
The competition now features a single league table instead of separate groups.
Under the new system, each team will play eight matches against different opponents.
Defending champions Real Madrid will face Liverpool away and host Borussia Dortmund in a rematch of last season’s final.
Real Madrid’s schedule includes home games against AC Milan and away fixtures at Atalanta. Liverpool, returning after a one-year absence, will meet Milan and tournament newcomers Girona, while also hosting Bayer Leverkusen, managed by former Liverpool player Xabi Alonso.
Manchester City, the 2023 champions, have drawn challenging opponents like Inter Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, and Juventus. However, they also face potentially easier matches against Club Brugge, Sparta Prague, and Slovan Bratislava. Other notable pairings include Bayern Munich versus PSG and Barcelona, and Arsenal against Inter and PSG.
The new format also increased the number of participating teams from 32 to 36 teams, divided into four seeded pots of nine for the draw.
The first matches are scheduled for September 17, 18, and 19. After the league phase, which includes two extra match days in January, the top eight teams will progress directly to the last 16, while those ranked 9th to 24th will compete in play-offs for the remaining spots.
The UEFA Europa League and Conference League will also adopt a 36-team format, with draws scheduled for Friday. The UEFA Conference League will have six match days in its league phase, compared to eight in the UCL and Europa League.
