Premier League Champions Manchester City will kick off their Champions League campaign with a match against Inter Milan on September 18th. This match is a repeat of the 2023 final in Istanbul, adding an extra layer of excitement to the fixture. Liverpool, on the other hand, will be traveling to face AC Milan, their opponents in the 2005 and 2007 finals, on September 17th. This match holds historical significance and will surely be a thrilling encounter. Arsenal will begin their campaign with a trip to Atalanta on September 19th.
Aston Villa, who are back in the competition after almost four decades, will travel to face Swiss side Young Boys on September 17th. This is a significant moment for the club and their fans, as they haven’t participated in the Champions League since the 1982-83 season. Scottish Premiership champions Celtic will host Slovan Bratislava in their opener on September 18th, followed by an away match against Borussia Dortmund on October 1st. These matches will test Celtic’s mettle and provide an exciting challenge for the team.
Liverpool’s Anfield will witness two high-profile matches as German champions Bayer Leverkusen and La Liga title-winners Real Madrid visit on November 5th and November 27th respectively. These matches will showcase Liverpool’s ability to compete against top European teams. Arsenal will host Paris St-Germain in their second game of the new ‘league phase’ on November 6th, while Aston Villa will take on Bayern Munich at Villa Park on October 2nd. These fixtures will be crucial in determining the teams’ progress in the competition.
Manchester City’s clash against PSG on January 22nd will be a highlight of their campaign, as it will be their penultimate league fixture. Aston Villa will host Scottish Premiership champions Celtic on January 29th, adding an extra layer of rivalry to the encounter. The final league phase games for all teams will kick off simultaneously on January 29th at 20:00. This change in format, where each team plays eight fixtures, marks a radical departure from the previous structure of the Champions League.
The draw for the league phase took place in Monaco, and while the dates and times of the fixtures were only confirmed recently, the anticipation for these matches has been building. The new format of the Champions League will see each team play eight games, with the top eight teams automatically qualifying for the last 16. Teams placing ninth to 24th will compete in a two-legged knockout play-off for a chance to join them. Teams finishing 25th or lower will be eliminated and not entered into the Europa League.
Overall, the new format of the Champions League promises more excitement and opportunities for teams to showcase their skills. With an increased number of fixtures, the league phase will run until January 29th, providing fans with a longer period of top-quality European football. The matchups between British teams and their opponents, combined with the historical significance of certain encounters, will undoubtedly make this season’s Champions League one to remember. Football fans around the world will be eagerly awaiting the start of the competition on September 17th.