The Champions League is set to dazzle fans once again with its latest edition, marking the 2024/25 season with a fresh format that promises more excitement and unpredictability. The draw, held on Thursday afternoon, revealed a series of blockbuster fixtures that are sure to captivate football enthusiasts worldwide. This season, Liverpool will face off against Real Madrid, Arsenal will challenge Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus will battle Manchester City, and Aston Villa will take on Bayern Munich, among other thrilling matchups.
The Champions League, now featuring 36 teams in its league phase, has undergone significant changes aimed at increasing the champion league competition’s intensity from the start. Instead of the traditional group stage where teams played home and away fixtures against three opponents, the new format will see clubs compete in eight matches against eight different teams. This shake-up is expected to bring a new level of excitement to the tournament, making every game crucial for progression.
Champions League: Key Fixtures Highlighted: Liverpool, Arsenal, City, and Villa Set for Challenges
The newly revealed Champions League fixtures have set the stage for some mouth-watering clashes. Liverpool, who have a storied history with Real Madrid, will once again meet the Spanish giants in what promises to be a high-stakes encounter. The Reds will be eager to avenge past defeats and prove their mettle against one of Europe’s most formidable teams. Meanwhile, Arsenal will face Paris Saint-Germain in a clash that pits two of Europe’s most exciting attacking teams against each other. The Gunners, under Mikel Arteta, have shown promise domestically and will be looking to assert themselves on the continental stage.
Manchester City, the defending Premier League champions, will be tested by Italian giants Juventus. City’s quest for European glory has been well-documented, and this fixture will be a key test of their credentials. Aston Villa, who have made a return to Europe’s elite competition, will face a stern challenge in Bayern Munich. Villa’s resurgence under Unai Emery has been one of the Premier League’s standout stories, and their clash with Bayern will be a true measure of how far they’ve come.
Understanding the New Champions League Format
This season’s Champions League format represents a significant departure from the traditional group stage that fans have grown accustomed to. The champion league competition will now see each team play eight different opponents in the first phase, creating a league table that will determine who progresses to the knockout rounds. The top eight teams at the end of this phase will secure direct passage to the last-16, ensuring a smoother path to the final stages of the tournament.
However, the path to glory is not straightforward for all. Teams finishing between ninth and 24th will face an additional play-off round, adding an extra layer of complexity and pressure to their campaigns. For those finishing 25th or lower, the Champions League journey will end abruptly, as they will be eliminated from all European competitions. This new structure aims to keep the competition fierce and unpredictable, ensuring that every match has something riding on it, right from the opening day to the final whistle of the league phase.
As the 2024/25 Champions League season approaches, football fans around the world are bracing for what promises to be one of the most exciting editions yet. With a new format, thrilling fixtures, and Europe’s top clubs vying for supremacy, the stage is set for another unforgettable chapter in the history of this prestigious tournament.
Champions League: Take a look at the full list of fixtures and the key dates you need for your diary.
Kick-off times 21:00 CET unless stated.
League phase
Matchday 1
Tuesday 17 September
Young Boys vs Aston Villa (18:45)
Juventus vs PSV Eindhoven (18:45)
AC Milan vs Liverpool
Bayern München vs GNK Dinamo
Real Madrid vs Stuttgart
Sporting CP vs LOSC Lille
Wednesday 18 September
Sparta Praha vs Salzburg (18:45)
Bologna vs Shakhtar Donetsk (18:45)
Celtic vs Slovan Bratislava
Club Brugge vs Borussia Dortmund
Manchester City vs Inter
Paris Saint-Germain vs Girona
Thursday 19 September
Feyenoord vs Bayer Leverkusen (18:45)
Crvena Zvezda vs Benfica (18:45)
Monaco vs Barcelona
Atalanta vs Arsenal
Atlético de Madrid vs Leipzig
Brest vs Sturm Graz
Matchday 2
Tuesday 1 October
Salzburg vs Brest (18:45)
Stuttgart vs Sparta Praha (18:45)
Arsenal vs Paris Saint-Germain
Bayer Leverkusen vs AC Milan
Borussia Dortmund vs Celtic
Barcelona vs Young Boys
Inter vs Crvena Zvezda
PSV Eindhoven vs Sporting CP
Slovan Bratislava vs Manchester City
Wednesday 2 October
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Atalanta (18:45)
Girona vs Feyenoord (18:45)
Aston Villa vs Bayern München
GNK Dinamo vs Monaco
Liverpool vs Bologna
LOSC Lille vs Real Madrid
Leipzig vs Juventus
Sturm Graz vs Club Brugge
Benfica vs Atlético de Madrid
Matchday 3
Tuesday 22 October
AC Milan vs Club Brugge (18:45)
Monaco vs Crvena Zvezda (18:45)
Arsenal vs Shakhtar Donetsk
Aston Villa vs Bologna
Girona vs Slovan Bratislava
Juventus vs Stuttgart
Paris Saint-Germain vs PSV Eindhoven
Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund
Sturm Graz vs Sporting CP
Wednesday 23 October
Atalanta vs Celtic (18:45)
Brest vs Bayer Leverkusen (18:45)
Atlético de Madrid vs LOSC Lille
Young Boys vs Inter
Barcelona vs Bayern München
Salzburg vs GNK Dinamo
Manchester City vs Sparta Praha
Leipzig vs Liverpool
Benfica vs Feyenoord
Matchday 4
Tuesday 5 November
PSV Eindhoven vs Girona (18:45)
Slovan Bratislava vs GNK Dinamo (18:45)
Bologna vs Monaco
Borussia Dortmund vs Sturm Graz
Celtic vs Leipzig
Liverpool vs Bayer Leverkusen
LOSC Lille vs Juventus
Real Madrid vs Milan
Sporting CP vs Manchester City
Wednesday 6 November
Club Brugge vs Aston Villa (18:45)
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Young Boys (18:45)
Sparta Praha vs Brest
Bayern München vs Benfica
Inter vs Arsenal
Feyenoord vs Salzburg
Crvena Zvezda vs Barcelona
Paris Saint-Germain vs Atlético de Madrid
Stuttgart vs Atalanta
Matchday 5
Tuesday 26 November
Sparta Praha vs Atlético de Madrid (18:45)
Slovan Bratislava vs AC Milan (18:45)
Bayer Leverkusen vs Salzburg
Young Boys vs Atalanta
Barcelona vs Brest
Bayern München vs Paris Saint-Germain
Inter vs Leipzig
Manchester City vs Feyenoord
Sporting CP vs Arsenal
Wednesday 27 November
Crvena Zvezda vs Stuttgart (18:45)
Sturm Graz vs Girona (18:45)
Monaco vs Benfica
Aston Villa vs Juventus
Bologna vs LOSC Lille
Celtic vs Club Brugge
GNK Dinamo vs Borussia Dortmund
Liverpool vs Real Madrid
PSV Eindhoven vs Shakhtar Donetsk
Matchday 6
Tuesday 10 December
Girona vs Liverpool (18:45)
GNK Dinamo vs Celtic (18:45)
Atalanta vs Real Madrid
Bayer Leverkusen vs Inter
Club Brugge vs Sporting CP
Salzburg vs Paris Saint-Germain
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Bayern München
Leipzig vs Aston Villa
Brest vs PSV Eindhoven
Wednesday 11 December
Atlético de Madrid vs Slovan Bratislava (18:45)
LOSC Lille vs Sturm Graz (18:45)
AC Milan vs Crvena Zvezda
Arsenal vs Monaco
Borussia Dortmund vs Barcelona
Feyenoord vs Sparta Praha
Juventus vs Manchester City
Benfica vs Bologna
Stuttgart vs Young Boys
Matchday 7
Tuesday 21 January
Monaco vs Aston Villa (18:45)
Atalanta vs Sturm Graz (18:45)
Atlético de Madrid vs Bayer Leverkusen
Bologna vs Borussia Dortmund
Club Brugge vs Juventus
Crvena Zvezda vs PSV Eindhoven
Liverpool vs LOSC Lille
Slovan Bratislava vs Stuttgart
Benfica vs Barcelona
Wednesday 22 January
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Brest (18:45)
Leipzig vs Sporting CP (18:45)
AC Milan vs Girona
Sparta Praha vs Inter
Arsenal vs GNK Dinamo
Celtic vs Young Boys
Feyenoord vs Bayern München
Paris Saint-Germain vs Manchester City
Real Madrid vs Salzburg
Matchday 8
Wednesday 29 January
Aston Villa vs Celtic
Bayer Leverkusen vs Sparta Praha
Borussia Dortmund vs Shakhtar Donetsk
Young Boys vs Crvena Zvezda
Barcelona vs Atalanta
Bayern München vs Slovan Bratislava
Inter vs Monaco
Salzburg vs Atlético de Madrid
Girona vs Arsenal
GNK Dinamo vs AC Milan
Juventus vs Benfica
LOSC Lille vs Feyenoord
Manchester City vs Club Brugge
PSV Eindhoven vs Liverpool
Sturm Graz vs Leipzig
Sporting CP vs Bologna
Brest vs Real Madrid
Stuttgart vs Paris Saint-Germain
