Champions League 2024-25

[PeteC]

Man City begin Champions League bid against Inter

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/arti ... v5qn4jnrpo

Premier League Champions Manchester City will face Inter Milan on 18 September in their first match of this season’s Champions League – in a repeat of the 2023 final in Istanbul.

Liverpool travel to AC Milan – the Reds’ opponents in the 2005 and 2007 finals - on 17 September, while Arsenal kick off their campaign with a trip to Atalanta on 19 September.

Aston Villa, back in the competition for the first time since 1982-83, travel to Swiss side Young Boys on 17 September.

Scottish Premiership champions Celtic host Slovan Bratislava in their opener on 18 September before taking on beaten 2024 finalists Borussia Dortmund away from home on 1 October.

Arsenal host Paris St-Germain in the Gunners’ second game of the new ‘league phase’ that same day, with Villa taking on Bayern Munich at Villa Park on 2 October.

Arne Slot’s Liverpool welcome German champions Bayer Leverkusen and La Liga title-winners Real Madrid to Anfield on 5 and 27 November respectively, while the Gunners travel to Inter on 6 November.

City visit PSG on their penultimate league fixture on 22 January, with Villa hosting Scottish Premiership champions Celtic on Matchday 8.

All teams' final league phase games will kick-off simultaneously, at 20:00 on Wednesday 29 January.

In a radical change from the previous Champions League format, each team plays eight fixtures in the new league phase of the competition.

The draw for the league phase took place in Monaco on Thursday, but the dates and times of the fixtures were only confirmed on Saturday.

Who will British teams play?

Aston Villa

Young Boys (A -17 September, 17:45)

Bayern Munich (H - 2 October, 20:00)

Bologna (H - 22 October, 20:00)

Club Brugge (A - 6 November, 17:45)

Juventus (H - 27 November, 20:00)

RB Leipzig (A - 10 December, 20:00)

Monaco (A - 21 January, 17:45)

Celtic (H - 29 January, 20:00)

Arsenal

Atalanta (A - 19 September, 20:00)

Paris St-Germain (H - 1 October, 20:00)

Shakhtar Donetsk (H - 22 October, 20:00)

Inter (A - 6 November, 20:00)

Sporting (A - 26 November, 20:00)

Monaco (H - 11 December, 20:00)

Dinamo Zagreb (H - 22 January, 20:00)

Girona (A - 29 January, 20:00)

Celtic

Slovan Bratislava (H - 18 September, 20:00)

Borussia Dortmund (A - 1 October, 20:00)

Atalanta (A - 23 October, 17:45)

RB Leipzig (H - 5 November, 20:00)

Club Brugge (H - 27 November, 20:00)

Dinamo Zagreb (A - 10 December, 17:45)

Young Boys (H - 22 January, 20:00)

Aston Villa (A - 29 January, 20:00)

Liverpool

AC Milan (A - 17 September, 20:00)

Bologna (H - 2 October, 20:00)

RB Leipzig (A - 23 October, 20:00)

Bayer Leverkusen (H - 5 November, 20:00)

Real Madrid (H - 27 November, 20:00)

Girona (A - 10 December, 17:45)

Lille (H - 21 January, 20:00)

PSV (A - 29 January, 20:00)

Manchester City

Inter Milan (H - 18 September, 20:00)

Slovan Bratislava (A - 1 October, 20:00)

Sparta Prague (H - 23 October, 20:00)

Sporting (A - 5 November, 20:00)

Feyenoord (H - 26 November, 20:00)

Juventus (A - 11 December, 20:00)

Paris St-Germain (A - 22 January, 20:00)

Club Brugge (H - 29 January, 20:00)

How does the new format work?

(Chart at link)

The expanded 36-team tournament sees each team play eight games – four at home and four away – in the league system, against two opponents from each of the four seeding pots.

Teams who finish in the top eight will qualify automatically for the last 16, while those who place ninth to 24th will compete in a two-legged knockout play-off for the chance to join them.

Whoever finishes 25th or lower will be eliminated and will not be entered into the Europa League.

The number of matches in the new format will increase from 125 to 189.

Each team will play a minimum of eight games - instead of six - and a maximum of 17.

Champions League action begins on 17-19 September, and with the increased number of fixtures, the league phase runs until 29 January rather than finishing before Christmas.

[Lost]

Not been paying attention to the Champs League this year as I dislike the new format. Maybe I'll 'get it' at some point, I'm sure the business end will get me invested again.

Watched Arse today though (they show some games on Prime didn't know) and since they lost Ødegaard, and last few games Saka, they just look awful. Very, very average.

Is good.

[caller]

I agree with you. The interest isnt there for me at this moment. It just feels like more games have been added simply to make more money. It all feels very flat compared to previous seasons. I haven't bothered with any of the games.

[thecolonel]

Four wins out of four for the English teams this week, with City winning 5-0

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[Dannie Boy]

You often read about Liverpool dominating their opponents - sometimes winning by a clear margin, other time just by the odd goal, but last night the roles were completely reversed against PSG.

possession was 70 - 30
Total shots was 27 - 2
On target was 10 - 1


And yet somehow Liverpool came away with a 1-0 win, thanks mainly to the heroics of Allison and some poor finishing by PSG. If they can play this bad and still win, seems as though their name could already be on the trophy!!

[Big Boy]

It looks as though they learnt something from their FA Cup defeat against Plymouth, where roles were reversed. Even Elliott tried scoring instead of playing basketball.

[thecolonel]

I fancy Liverpool and Villa to play each other next round

And Real Madrid v Arsenal

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[thecolonel]

Liverpool out!

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[Dannie Boy]

As soon as Nunez walked up to take Liverpool’s second penalty I feared the worst!!

[pharvey]

Liverpool out!

As soon as Nunez walked up to take Liverpool’s second penalty I feared the worst!!

Didn't see the game, but reports seem to show Liverpool had their chances! They were saved by the heroics of Allison in the first leg, but it was somewhat different in the return at Anfield.... Still, it's shitty to go out on Penalties

[Dannie Boy]

I only watched extra time and the penalties on live TV but subsequently watched the 5 minutes of highlights and although Liverpool did have a few good scoring opportunities, I have to say that on balance PSG looked the better team - especially in the first leg when Alison saved Liverpool from what could have easily been a 5-1 defeat!!

[pharvey]

^ Sure, it could well (and likely should) have been over in the first leg.... Still a shitty way to go out though!

[thecolonel]

Extraordinary scenes in Madrid, where in a penalty shoot out Athletico scored a pen only to have VAR chalk it off a few mins later as he double hit it(he slipped on striking the ball).

Never seen that before!

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[pharvey]

Extraordinary scenes in Madrid, where in a penalty shoot out Athletico scored a pen only to have VAR chalk it off a few mins later as he double hit it(he slipped on striking the ball).

Never seen that before!

Saw it on the news this morning - hardly as if it was done deliberately, which was my first thought when hearing about it. Seems incredibly harsh, but those are the rules I guess.

Video @ https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/ar ... m14y04g04o

[Dannie Boy]

As you say, rules are rules but it doesn’t appear to have affected the flight of the ball at all, so very harsh!!