The Champions League 2024/25: Embracing a New Era with an Exciting Format

Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Aston Villa and Celtic feature in new Champions League format; 36 teams form a single league, with each entrant playing eight different clubs, four at home and four away; the top eight sides will qualify automatically for the knockout stages Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Aston Villa and Celtic feature in a new Champions League format this season - here's everything you need to know...

Champions League

How does the new ‘ Champions League phase’ format work?

The 36 teams form a single league, with each entrant playing eight different clubs, four at home and four away. Three points are awarded for a win and one for a draw.
The top eight sides in the league will qualify automatically for the knockout stages, while the teams finishing in ninth to 24th place will compete in a two-legged play-off to secure a place in the last 16 of the competition.

The bottom 12 teams will be eliminated with no access to the Europa League.

Thursday’s Champions League fixtures…

- Crvena Zvezda vs Benfica (kick-off 5.45pm)
- Feyenoord vs Bayer Leverkusen (kick-off 5.45pm)
- Atalanta vs Arsenal (kick-off 8pm)
- Atletico Madrid vs RB Leipzig (kick-off 8pm)
- Brest vs Sturm Graz (kick-off 8pm)
- Monaco vs Barcelona (kick-off 8pm)

How will the knockout play-off phase work?

Teams that finish between ninth and 16th will be seeded in the knockout phase play-off draw, meaning they will face a team placed 17th to 24th.
The eight clubs that prevail in the knockout phase play-offs will then progress to the round of 16, where they will each face one of the top-eight finishers, who will be seeded.
The pairings of the knockout phase will also be partly determined by the league phase rankings, with a draw which lays out the route for teams to reach the final.

How many points do you need to qualify for the knockout rounds?

A new format brings new expectations in the Champions League this season, with clubs looking at the mathematics to see how many points they would need to qualify for the knockout rounds in the league phase structure.
The Opta supercomputer believes 16 points from a possible 24 – so five wins and a draw from eight matches, or other combinations – would almost certainly be enough to finish in the top eight, which guarantees you a last-16 spot in the New Year.
The data also believes 15 points – so five wins from eight games, or other combinations – could be enough to sneak into eighth place, with that points tally being enough in 73 per cent of Opta’s 50,000 simulations of the league phase.
Fourteen points, so four wins and two draws or other combinations, is unlikely to be enough for a top-eight finish – so the race to five wins is likely to be the target for the biggest sides.
To finish in the top 24, which guarantees you a play-off spot at least, Opta believes 10 points – so three wins and a draw, or other combinations – will almost certainly guarantee you a place in that round.
It means teams who win in the opening round of Champions League fixtures need just seven points from the remaining seven games to guarantee themselves a play-off spot.
Nine points – so three wins from eight games, or other combinations – could be enough to finish 24th, with that points tally being enough in 69 per cent of the simulations.
But just eight points – so two wins and two draws, or other combinations – runs the risk of elimination, with that points tally being sufficient in just 16 per cent of the simulations.
Teams will be targeting at least three wins from eight to give them the best possible chance of reaching the Champions League knockout rounds.

Where is the Champions League final being held in 2025?

The 2024/25 UEFA Champions League season will take place in Munich at the Allianz Arena on May 31, 2025.