UEFA Champions League kicks off with exciting fixtures

The inaugural league phase of the UEFA Champions League is set to commence on Tuesday.

The season will launch with Juventus facing PSV Eindhoven and Young Boys taking on Aston Villa, both matches scheduled to kick off at 16:45 GMT, News.Az reports.

Later in the evening, AC Milan will host Liverpool at Milan’s San Siro Stadium, starting at 19:00 GMT. Concurrently, reigning champions Real Madrid will welcome Stuttgart to the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, with their match also beginning at 19:00 GMT.

In the 2024-25 season, 36 clubs are participating in the league phase, and under the new format each club will play eight matches at this stage. The best eight teams in standings will qualify for the last 16.

However the clubs, which will finish the league stage between the ninth and 24th spots, will play a two-legged knockout playoff to book their place at the last 16.

Teams that will complete the league stage in 25th or lower ranks will be eliminated, and will not go to the second-tier UEFA Europa League.

From the last 16 onwards, the Champions League will go on with its existing format of knockout stages; quarterfinals, semifinals, and a single-legged final in a neutral venue that UEFA has selected.

The final will be held at Bayern Munich's home ground; the Allianz Arena on May 31.

This venue has hosted the 2012 Champions League final when Chelsea beat Bayern Munich 4-3 on penalties.

League phase - Matchday 1 fixtures are as follows:

Tuesday:

Juventus vs. PSV

Young Boys vs. Aston Villa

Bayern Munich vs. Dinamo Zagreb

AC Milan vs. Liverpool

Real Madrid vs. Stuttgart

Sporting Lisbon vs. Lille

Wednesday, Sept. 18:

Bologna vs. Shakhtar Donetsk

Sparta Prague vs. Salzburg

Club Brugge vs. Borussia Dortmund

Celtic vs. Slovan Bratislava

Manchester City vs. Inter Milan

Paris Saint-Germain vs. Girona

Thursday, Sept. 19:

Crvena Zvezda vs. Benfica

Feyenoord vs. Bayer Leverkusen

Atalanta vs. Arsenal

Atletico Madrid vs. Leipzig

Monaco vs. Barcelona

Brest vs. Sturm Graz

News.Az