Champions League Draw: Real Madrid face Liverpool, Dortmund, and AC Milan in New Format
Real Madrid, the reigning champions of the UEFA Champions League will face off against familiar foes Liverpool, along with Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan, among others, in a highly competitive group of fixtures.
The 2024/25 UEFA Champions League draw has delivered thrilling matchups as the tournament shifts to its newly introduced league format.
UEFA has officially confirmed the new structure for the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League. Starting from this season, the league phase will replace the traditional group stage, expanding participation to 36 clubs, four more than in previous years.
In the revised format, each team will play eight matches against eight different opponents, diverging from the previous setup where clubs played six games against three teams.
Teams were drawn from four seeded pots, determined by their club coefficients at the start of the season, with the Champions League titleholder guaranteed a spot in Pot 1.
Real Madrid, as defending champions, find themselves in a challenging schedule. The draw has paired them with Liverpool, rekindling a fierce rivalry, alongside Borussia Dortmund, in what is a replay of last season’s final. AC Milan, Salzburg, Lille, Stuttgart, and Brest will also compete against the Spanish giants, setting up an intense series of matches.
The new format aims to enhance the competition’s excitement, with each team set to face different opponents in different home and away fixtures.
A similar structure will be applied to the Europa League, while the Conference League will see each club face six different teams, drawn from six distinct pots.
Full 2024/25 UEFA Champions League Draw: