The New-Look Champions League Draw: What to Expect
The highly anticipated Champions League draw for the 2024/25 season will take place on Thursday at 18:00. This year’s draw is particularly exciting as it marks the beginning of a new era for Europe’s premier club competition. You can watch all the action live in South Africa on Supersport, with clips available online and across social media.
Starting from this season, 36 clubs will participate in a newly structured league phase, replacing the traditional group stage. This expanded format allows four more teams the chance to compete in the UEFA Champions League. Instead of the usual format where teams faced three opponents twice, the new league phase will see each club play eight matches against eight different teams. This change promises more competitive and balanced matches, providing fans with thrilling football at every level.
To determine these eight opponents, teams will be seeded into four pots based on their UEFA club coefficient at the start of the season. The only exception is the UEFA Champions League titleholder, who is always the top seed in Pot 1. Each team will then be drawn against two opponents from each pot—one match will be played at home and the other away. This format also applies to the UEFA Europa League, while the UEFA Conference League will feature six matches, one against each of the six pots.
Importantly, teams cannot face opponents from their own country during this phase and are limited to playing a maximum of two clubs from the same nation. This ensures a diverse and competitive fixture list for all participating clubs.
2024/25 Champions League: League Phase Draw Pots
Pot 1
- Real Madrid (ESP)
- Manchester City (ENG)
- Bayern München (GER)
- Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)
- Liverpool (ENG)
- Inter (ITA)
- Dortmund (GER)
- Leipzig (GER)
- Barcelona (ESP)
Pot 2
- Leverkusen (GER)
- Atlético de Madrid (ESP)
- Atalanta (ITA)
- Juventus (ITA)
- Benfica (POR)
- Arsenal (ENG)
- Club Brugge (BEL)
- Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR)
- AC Milan (ITA)
Pot 3
- Feyenoord (NED)
- Sporting CP (POR)
- PSV Eindhoven (NED)
- GNK Dinamo (CRO)
- Salzburg (AUT)
- Lille (FRA)
- Crvena Zvezda (SRB)
- Young Boys (SUI)
- Celtic (SCO)
Pot 4
- Slovan Bratislava (SVK)
- Monaco (FRA)
- Sparta Praha (CZE)
- Aston Villa (ENG)
- Bologna (ITA)
- Girona (ESP)
- Stuttgart (GER)
- Sturm Graz (AUT)
- Brest (FRA)
How Will the Draw Work?
The process is straightforward yet strategically complex. Teams will be placed into four pots according to their seeding. Each club will then face two teams from each pot—one at home and one away. After a team is drawn, UEFA’s advanced software will determine their eight opponents and the venue for each match.
This new system is designed to increase the number of high-stakes matches between Europe’s biggest clubs. For instance, Manchester City could potentially face Real Madrid, Bayern München, and Barcelona in the same phase.
The software also ensures that no team faces a domestic rival and that each team can only play two clubs from any one country. UEFA’s computer system plans ahead to avoid any potential scheduling conflicts further down the line.
For more details and to place your bets on the upcoming matches, visit World Sports Betting. Don’t miss out on what promises to be a thrilling season of European football!
