A new "league phase" has replaced the old group stage format for the Champions League, and the number of teams has increased from 32 to 36.
The league phase will be very similar to a traditional domestic table like you'd see in the Premier League. Teams are going to play eight total matches in the league phase, with four being at home and four being away, a big shift for the competition.
As the Champions League is set to get underway, let's break down what has changed and what the impact may be.
New UEFA Champions League Format
For the draw, teams have been placed into four different pots based on their UEFA coefficients. Each team will play two matches (one at home and one away) against each of the different pots, creating more big matches during the league phase.
The schedules for each team were drawn at random, with a couple of stipulations. First, no team can play someone from its own country, which means a squad like Arsenal cannot play Manchester City, Liverpool or Aston Villa. Second, each can only play a maximum of two opponents from another country (i.e., Liverpool can't play two teams from Germany).
Teams that finish in the top eight spots of table play will automatically qualify for the round of 16. Teams that finish from ninth to 24th in the table will each be paired with an opponent in a two-leg playoff to qualify for the round of 16. Teams 9-16 will be seeded so that whoever goes through will face the corresponding seed. For example, the top seed will play the 16th seed, the two seed will play the 15th seed, and so on and so forth.
Teams that finish in 25th to 36th in the league phase will be eliminated from the competition and will no longer drop down to the Europa League.
Once we reach the round of 16, the format will be the same as past Champions Leagues, with two-leg ties until the final.
2024-25 UEFA Champions League Predictions
Here are my expected point outputs for the group stage, which were calculated right before the draw.
