Sharjah 24 – Reuters: In a highly anticipated Champions League draw held in Monaco on Thursday, Real Madrid, the reigning champions, will face Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool, who will clash with AC Milan in the first stage of the tournament's new edition.
Real Madrid, positioned in the first tier, will also compete against Atalanta, Salzburg, Lille, Stuttgart, and Brest. The revamped Champions League format now features 36 clubs, with each team playing eight matches, all within a single league instead of the traditional group stages.
The clubs are divided into four levels of nine teams each. Teams will face two opponents from each level, playing four matches at home and four away. The top eight teams will advance directly to the round of 16, while those ranked ninth to 24th will enter a playoff round to complete the knockout stage lineup. Clubs finishing between 25th and 36th will see their Champions League journey end without further European competition.
The first stage of this new format will take place from September 17, 2024, to January 29, 2025.
Manchester City, also from the first level, will face Inter Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, Club Brugge, Juventus, Feyenoord, Sporting, Sparta Prague, and Slovan Bratislava. Inter Milan will take on opponents like Manchester City, Arsenal, and Bayer Leverkusen.
Bayern Munich is set to face off against Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona, Benfica, and others, while Leipzig, another top-tier team, will challenge Liverpool, Inter Milan, and Atletico Madrid.
Liverpool’s journey will see them face Real Madrid, Leipzig, and AC Milan, among others. Borussia Dortmund will compete against Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Shakhtar Donetsk.
In a highly competitive field, each match promises to deliver excitement as Europe’s top clubs vie for the coveted title.
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