Real Madrid draw Liverpool and Dortmund in new Champions League format

Holders Real Madrid will face Liverpool away and host Borussia Dortmund in the league stage of the revamped UEFA Champions League, following the draw held on Thursday in Monaco. The draw sets up a repeat of last season’s final as part of the new-look competition, which now features a single 36-team league format instead of traditional group stages.

Each team will play eight games against different opponents, with Real Madrid also set to host AC Milan and travel to Atalanta. Madrid, fresh off signing French superstar Kylian Mbappé, recently defeated Atalanta in the UEFA Super Cup in Warsaw earlier this month.

Liverpool, returning to the Champions League after missing out last season, will face AC Milan and tournament debutants Girona. Liverpool fans will be particularly excited about welcoming Bayer Leverkusen, led by former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso, to Anfield.

Manchester City, the 2023 champions, will host Italian champions Inter Milan and visit both Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus, along with easier fixtures against Club Brugge, Sparta Prague, and Slovan Bratislava.

Other marquee matchups include Bayern Munich against both PSG and Barcelona, and Arsenal facing Inter Milan and PSG.

The expanded format sees the top eight teams automatically advancing to the last 16, while teams placed ninth to 24th will compete in a playoff round for the remaining spots. The bottom 12 teams will be eliminated without the option of dropping into the Europa League.

The first matches of the new Champions League format are scheduled for September 17-19, with extra matchdays added in January to accommodate the expanded league phase.

(Source: AFP)