August 29, (THEWILL) – The UEFA Champions League draw for the 2024/2025 season took place on Thursday, introducing a new league format with 36 teams.
Defending champions Real Madrid will face Liverpool away and host Borussia Dortmund in a rematch of last season’s final. 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. 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 revamped format expands the tournament 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.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
