It starts on September 17, presenting a renewed format with the matches already defined, of which we will see matches at the highest level from day one until the last match of the league phase.
After implementing software that randomly selected rivals from the 36 participating teams, some teams such as defending champion Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester City, and even Paris Saint-Germain will have tough commitments along the way.
Real Madrid will face Borussia Dortmund, Liverpool, Milan, Atalanta, Salzburg, Lille, Stuttgart, and Brest in the first round of the Champions League, while Hansi Flick’s new Barcelona will face old acquaintances such as Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, as well as Atalanta, Young Boys, Brest, Benfica, Red Star and Monaco.
PSG probably has the tightest schedule among those that will face Manchester City, Atletico de Madrid, Bayern Munich, Arsenal, PSV Eindhoven, Girona, Salzburg, and Stuttgart.
Champions League: The matches you can’t miss
- Real Madrid-Milan
- Real Madrid-B. Dortmund
- Liverpool-Real Madrid
- Barcelona-Bayern Munich
- B.Dortmund-Barcelona
- Manchester City-Inter
- PSG-Manchester City
- Manchester City-Juventus
- Bayern Munich-PSG
- Inter-Arsenal
- Real Madrid-Milan
- Milan-Liverpool
- PSG-Atletico Madrid
- Arsenal-PSG
How does the new format work?
With this new format, the goal is for teams to play against a slightly wider variety of opponents. In previous editions, everything was centered around groups, pigeonholing each match in the competition. This could allow teams that don’t have as much history in the Champions League to go a little further, giving them a better chance of advancing.
In this new edition, UEFA has eliminated the group stage, so the tournament will be played in a league format. The 36 participating teams will face each other in eight matches against different opponents, totaling eight rounds in this stage, taking into account that there are four home and four return matches.
At the conclusion of these rounds, the top eight teams in the table will advance directly to the round of 16. Clubs finishing between 9th and 24th will face each other in a series of two-legged knockout matches to determine the other eight teams that will advance to the round of 16.
In addition, the draw featured Cristiano Ronaldo and Gianluigi Buffon as special guests, showing the matches that will give life to this new Champions League format.
During his welcome speech, Cristiano Ronaldo left several hints that caught the attention of all those present at the ceremony by pointing out that the door to a possible return to the Champions League is not closed.
Cristiano Ronaldo has not forgotten Real Madrid
Cristiano Ronaldo also took the opportunity to recall in his speech his time with Manchester United and Real Madrid, the clubs where he won the most important trophy in the ‘old continent’.
When asked about his most special Champions League, CR7 chose the ‘Red Devils’ as it was the first one he lifted, which allowed him to later write his name in the history of the Merengue team with four titles.
“My first title with Manchester United was very precious to me. With Real Madrid, I won four Champions Leagues. Real Madrid’s history in the Champions League is unbelievable,” he said.
Cristiano Ronaldo also had a spell at Juventus, where they were the only team in which he failed to win ‘La Orejona’, being the second-highest winner of the tournament only below Paco Gento, Dani Carvajal, Nacho Fernandez, Luka Modric, and Toni Kroos with six, who lifted the last Champions League with Real Madrid.
With the new Champions League about to get underway, the elimination of the group stage and the innovative league format promise to revolutionize the competition. This change introduces a fresh and exciting dynamic, raising expectations for the season. There will be a fierce fight by the teams to secure their place in the round of 16. It will undoubtedly be an exciting event for spectators and lovers of good football.
