The 2024/25 Champions League gets underway on Tuesday, September 17, and we now know exactly when the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Liverpool and Manchester City will be playing each of their eight fixtures in the new league phase.
How does the 2024/25 Champions League work? Format explained
For the first time, 36 teams will take part in the first round, which is now a league phase rather than the group stage we’ve all been so accustomed to. The Swiss model system means teams will play against seven different opponents either home or away, and be ranked in a 36-club table once they have played those eight fixtures.
The top eight teams will advance directly to the round of 16, clubs finishing 9th to 16th will be seeded for the playoff round and face those ranked 17th to 24th, who will be unseeded. The bottom 12 teams will be eliminated.
The initial draw for the first ever league phase threw up some eye-catching ties, including Liverpool against Real Madrid at Anfield, Manchester City away to Juventus, Barcelona versus Bayern Munich in Catalonia and Arsenal hosting Paris Saint-Germain.
Full Champions League 2024/25 league phase draw: dates and times
Tuesday, September 17
12:45 p.m. - BSC Young Boys - Aston Villa FC
12:45 p.m. - Juventus - PSV Eindhoven
3:00 p.m. - AC Milan - Liverpool FC
3:00 p.m. - FC Bayern München - GNK Dinamo
3:00 p.m. - Real Madrid C.F. - VfB Stuttgart
3:00 p.m. - Sporting Clube de Portugal - LOSC Lille
Wednesday, September 18
12:45 p.m. - AC Sparta Praha - FC Salzburg
12:45 p.m. - Bologna FC 1909 - FC Shakhtar Donetsk
3:00 p.m. - Celtic FC - SK Slovan Bratislava
3:00 p.m. - Club Brugge KV - Borussia Dortmund
3:00 p.m. - Manchester City - FC Internazionale Milano
3:00 p.m. - Paris Saint-Germain - Girona FC
Thursday, September 19
12:45 p.m. - Feyenoord - Bayer 04 Leverkusen
12:45 p.m. - FK Crvena Zvezda - SL Benfica
3:00 p.m. - AS Monaco - FC Barcelona
3:00 p.m. - Atalanta BC - Arsenal FC
3:00 p.m. - Atlético de Madrid - RB Leipzig
3:00 p.m. - Stade Brestois 29 - SK Sturm Graz
Tuesday, October 1
12:45 p.m. - FC Salzburg - Stade Brestois 29
12:45 p.m. - VfB Stuttgart - AC Sparta Praha
3:00 p.m. - Arsenal FC - Paris Saint-Germain
3:00 p.m. - Bayer 04 Leverkusen - AC Milan
3:00 p.m. - Borussia Dortmund - Celtic FC
3:00 p.m. - FC Barcelona - BSC Young Boys
3:00 p.m. - FC Internazionale Milano - FK Crvena Zvezda
3:00 p.m. - PSV Eindhoven - Sporting Clube de Portugal
3:00 p.m. - SK Slovan Bratislava - Manchester City
Wednesday, October 2
12:45 p.m. - FC Shakhtar Donetsk - Atalanta BC
12:45 p.m. - Girona FC - Feyenoord
3:00 p.m. - Aston Villa FC - FC Bayern München
3:00 p.m. - GNK Dinamo - AS Monaco
3:00 p.m. - Liverpool FC - Bologna FC 1909
3:00 p.m. - LOSC Lille - Real Madrid C.F.
3:00 p.m. - RB Leipzig - Juventus
3:00 p.m. - SK Sturm Graz - Club Brugge KV
3:00 p.m. - SL Benfica - Atlético de Madrid
Tuesday, October 22
12:45 p.m. ET - AC Milan - Club Brugge KV
12:45 p.m. ET - AS Monaco - FK Crvena Zvezda
3:00 p.m. ET - Arsenal FC - FC Shakhtar Donetsk
3:00 p.m. ET - Aston Villa FC - Bologna FC 1909
3:00 p.m. ET - Girona FC - SK Slovan Bratislava
3:00 p.m. ET - Juventus - VfB Stuttgart
3:00 p.m. ET - Paris Saint-Germain - PSV Eindhoven
3:00 p.m. ET - Real Madrid C.F. - Borussia Dortmund
3:00 p.m. ET - SK Sturm Graz - Sporting Clube de Portugal
Wednesday, October 23
12:45 p.m. ET - Atalanta BC - Celtic FC
12:45 p.m. ET - Stade Brestois 29 - Bayer 04 Leverkusen
3:00 p.m. ET - Atlético de Madrid - LOSC Lille
3:00 p.m. ET - BSC Young Boys - FC Internazionale Milano
3:00 p.m. ET - FC Barcelona - FC Bayern München
3:00 p.m. ET - FC Salzburg - GNK Dinamo
3:00 p.m. ET - Manchester City - AC Sparta Praha
3:00 p.m. ET - RB Leipzig - Liverpool FC
3:00 p.m. ET - SL Benfica - Feyenoord
Tuesday, November 5
12:45 p.m. - PSV Eindhoven - Girona FC
12:45 p.m. - SK Slovan Bratislava - GNK Dinamo
3:00 p.m. - Bologna FC 1909 - AS Monaco
3:00 p.m. - Borussia Dortmund - SK Sturm Graz
3:00 p.m. - Celtic FC - RB Leipzig
3:00 p.m. - Liverpool FC - Bayer 04 Leverkusen
3:00 p.m. - LOSC Lille - Juventus
3:00 p.m. - Real Madrid C.F. - AC Milan
3:00 p.m. - Sporting Clube de Portugal - Manchester City
Wednesday, November 6
12:45 p.m. - Club Brugge KV - Aston Villa FC
12:45 p.m. - FC Shakhtar Donetsk - BSC Young Boys
3:00 p.m. - AC Sparta Praha - Stade Brestois 29
3:00 p.m. - FC Bayern München - SL Benfica
3:00 p.m. - FC Internazionale Milano - Arsenal FC
3:00 p.m. - Feyenoord - FC Salzburg
3:00 p.m. - FK Crvena Zvezda - FC Barcelona
3:00 p.m. - Paris Saint-Germain - Atlético de Madrid
3:00 p.m. - VfB Stuttgart - Atalanta
Tuesday, November 26
12:45 p.m. - AC Sparta Praha - Atlético de Madrid
12:45 p.m. - SK Slovan Bratislava - AC Milan
3:00 p.m. - Bayer 04 Leverkusen - FC Salzburg
3:00 p.m. - BSC Young Boys - Atalanta BC
3:00 p.m. - FC Barcelona - Stade Brestois 29
3:00 p.m. - FC Bayern München - Paris Saint-Germain
3:00 p.m. - FC Internazionale Milano - RB Leipzig
3:00 p.m. - Manchester City - Feyenoord
3:00 p.m. - Sporting Clube de Portugal - Arsenal FC
Wednesday, November 27
12:45 p.m. - FK Crvena Zvezda - VfB Stuttgart
12:45 p.m. - SK Sturm Graz - Girona FC
3:00 p.m. - AS Monaco - SL Benfica
3:00 p.m. - Aston Villa FC - Juventus
3:00 p.m. - Bologna FC 1909 - LOSC Lille
3:00 p.m. - Celtic FC - Club Brugge KV
3:00 p.m. - GNK Dinamo - Borussia Dortmund
3:00 p.m. - Liverpool FC - Real Madrid C.F.
3:00 p.m. - PSV Eindhoven - FC Shakhtar
Tuesday, December 10
12:45 p.m. - Girona FC - Liverpool FC
12:45 p.m. - GNK Dinamo - Celtic FC
3:00 p.m. - Atalanta BC - Real Madrid C.F.
3:00 p.m. - Bayer 04 Leverkusen - FC Internazionale Milano
3:00 p.m. - Club Brugge KV - Sporting Clube de Portugal
3:00 p.m. - FC Salzburg - Paris Saint-Germain
3:00 p.m. - FC Shakhtar Donetsk - FC Bayern München
3:00 p.m. - RB Leipzig - Aston Villa FC
3:00 p.m. - Stade Brestois 29 - PSV Eindhoven
Wednesday, December 11
12:45 p.m. - Atlético de Madrid - SK Slovan Bratislava
12:45 p.m. - LOSC Lille - SK Sturm Graz
3:00 p.m. - AC Milan - FK Crvena Zvezda
3:00 p.m. - Arsenal FC - AS Monaco
3:00 p.m. - Borussia Dortmund - FC Barcelona
3:00 p.m. - Feyenoord - AC Sparta Praha
3:00 p.m. - Juventus - Manchester City
3:00 p.m. - SL Benfica - Bologna FC 1909
3:00 p.m. - VfB Stuttgart - BSC Young Boys
Tuesday, January 21
12:45 p.m. - AS Monaco - Aston Villa FC
12:45 p.m. - Atalanta BC - SK Sturm Graz
3:00 p.m. - Atlético de Madrid - Bayer 04 Leverkusen
3:00 p.m. - Bologna FC 1909 - Borussia Dortmund
3:00 p.m. - Club Brugge KV - Juventus
3:00 p.m. - FK Crvena Zvezda - PSV Eindhoven
3:00 p.m. - Liverpool FC - LOSC Lille
3:00 p.m. - SK Slovan Bratislava - VfB Stuttgart
3:00 p.m. - SL Benfica - FC Barcelona
Wednesday, January 22
12:45 p.m. - FC Shakhtar Donetsk - Stade Brestois 29
12:45 p.m. - RB Leipzig - Sporting Clube de Portugal
3:00 p.m. - AC Milan - Girona FC
3:00 p.m. - AC Sparta Praha - FC Internazionale Milano
3:00 p.m. - Arsenal FC - GNK Dinamo
3:00 p.m. - Celtic FC - BSC Young Boys
3:00 p.m. - Feyenoord - FC Bayern München
3:00 p.m. - Paris Saint-Germain - Manchester City
3:00 p.m. - Real Madrid C.F. - FC Salzburg
Wednesday, January 29
Aston Villa FC - Celtic FC
Bayer 04 Leverkusen - AC Sparta Praha
Borussia Dortmund - FC Shakhtar Donetsk
BSC Young Boys - FK Crvena Zvezda
FC Barcelona - Atalanta BC
FC Bayern München - SK Slovan Bratislava
FC Internazionale Milano - AS Monaco
FC Salzburg - Atlético de Madrid
Girona FC - Arsenal FC
GNK Dinamo - AC Milan
Juventus - SL Benfica
LOSC Lille - Feyenoord
Manchester City - Club Brugge KV
PSV Eindhoven - Liverpool FC
SK Sturm Graz - RB Leipzig
Sporting Clube de Portugal - Bologna FC 1909
Stade Brestois 29 - Real Madrid C.F.
VfB Stuttgart - Paris Saint-Germain
Champions League to be played on Thursday night
For the first time, Champions League fixtures have been scheduled for a Thursday night, with some matchday one games being played on Thursday, September 19.
As part of UEFA’s revamp, each competition will have an ‘exclusive week’ in which it will take centre stage. For both the Champions League and the Europa League, that will be matchday one of the league phase.
Additionally, all matches on matchday eight, the last one of the league phase, will be played on Wednesday, January 29. The league standings will be finalised on that date and decide which clubs progress to the round of 16, which ones feature in the playoff round and which teams are eliminated.