Champions League 2024/25 Draw: Potential Opponents for Man City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Aston Villa, and Celtic

Upcoming Champions League Draw: What to Expect

The highly anticipated draw for the UEFA Champions League league phase is set to take place today at 5pm (UK time). This year’s draw is significant because it features top teams including Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Aston Villa, and Celtic, who will be pairing against their league phase opponents under a new format slated for the 2024/25 season.

Major Changes in Champions League Format

In a remarkable overhaul, the Champions League is moving from a traditional format to a much larger and more expansive league phase. This new system increases the number of matches from 125 to 189, allowing each club to play a minimum of eight league stage games against different opponents—this marks a substantial change from the previous setup where teams faced just three opponents in two home and away matches.

Key Features of the New Format

• Expanded Teams: The number of participating teams will grow from 32 to 36.
• Single League Phase: All teams will compete in a single league format with no group phase.
• Game Structure: Teams will play four matches at home and four away.
• Knockout Stages: The top eight teams will qualify automatically, while teams ranked 9th to 24th will engage in play-offs.

Understanding the Draw Process

The draw will be conducted manually for the 36 participating teams, with a unique automated software that will randomly pair teams into fixtures. This system ensures a fair draw process, and the procedure will take approximately 35 minutes. Notably, teams cannot play against others from the same league during this phase.

Pots for the Draw

The participating teams are organized into four pots based on their UEFA rankings. Here are the current teams in each pot:

• Pot 1: Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool, Inter Milan, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, Barcelona
• Pot 2: Bayer Leverkusen, Atletico Madrid, Atalanta, Juventus, Benfica, Arsenal, Club Brugge, Shakhtar Donetsk, AC Milan
• Pot 3: Feyenoord, Sporting Lisbon, PSV Eindhoven, Dinamo Zagreb, Red Bull Salzburg, Lille, Red Star Belgrade, Young Boys, Celtic
• Pot 4: Slovan Bratislava, Monaco, Sparta Prague, Aston Villa, Bologna, Girona, Stuttgart, Sturm Graz, Brest

What’s Next After the Draw?

After the draw, fans can expect the finalized fixture list to be released on Saturday, August 31. The league phase matches will take place between September 17, 2024, and January 29, 2025, with the knockout stages commencing shortly after.

Where Will the Champions League Final Be Held?

The finale of the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League will take place at the Allianz Arena in Munich on May 31, 2025, an event that should not be missed by any football enthusiast.

Changes in Other European Competitions

The changes aren't limited to the Champions League alone; similar alterations are being introduced in the Europa League and Europa Conference League. Like the Champions League, the Europa League will also feature an expanded league phase. The UEFA Conference League will see adjustments as well, moving to a format with six matches against different opponents.

Conclusion

The revamped UEFA Champions League format is set to make waves in European football as teams prepare for the exciting challenges ahead. Keep an eye out for today’s draw, as it will shape the league matches for some of the world's top clubs.

For more details on the UEFA Champions League and updates on your favorite teams, stay tuned!