The New Champions League Format Explained and What Teams are Drawn Against Premier League Sides

4 weeks ago 1276

The UEFA Champions League draw for the 2024/25 season is out, but the competition has undergone a major format change, replacing the current group stage format with a new “Swiss model.” Here’s how it works:

Expanded teams and single-league format

Number of teams: The competition will expand from 32 to 36 teams.
League format: Instead of the traditional group stage, all teams will compete in a single league phase. This eliminates the need for small groups of four teams, and now each team will play against a variety of opponents.

Matches and opponents

More Games: Each team will play 8 matches (up from the current 6), facing different opponents based on a seeding system (4 home and 4 away). Teams won’t play against everyone, but they will be matched with a mix of higher- and lower-seeded teams.

Qualification to knockout stage

Top 8: The top 8 teams at the end of the league phase will automatically qualify for the round of 16.
Playoffs: Teams finishing from 9th to 24th place will enter a two-legged playoff round. The winners will join the top 8 in the round of 16.
The teams ranked 25th or lower will be eliminated from the competition.

Increased matches overall

The overall number of games will rise significantly, from 125 in the current format to 189 matches under the new structure. This increases fan engagement and provides clubs with more match revenue.

Other changes

The Europa League and Conference League will adopt similar formats with their variations on the number of teams and matches.

The new league model aims to provide more high-profile clashes during the league phase, with a wider range of opponents. It also opens up more slots for teams from smaller leagues, potentially boosting competitiveness.

Teams Drawn against Premier League sides

The Premier League sides have drawn some exciting fixtures with Liverpool drawing the hardest fixture list. Here are all the teams that all Arsenal, Aston Villa, Man City and Liverpool have drawn in the new Champions League format.