By Ojomah Austin.
The draw has been revamped accordingly, with each team now set to play eight fixtures rather than being sorted into groups. From England, Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Aston Villa have secured their spots, with Scottish champions Celtic also in the mix.
As usual, teams cannot face opponents from their own country, but this year’s format introduces the possibility of some blockbuster matchups.
Gone are the traditional group stages in the Champions League, replaced by a new league phase that UEFA hopes will inject more excitement into the competition’s early rounds.
For the first time, clubs can face rivals from the same seeding pot, meaning last season’s champions Real Madrid could potentially clash with Manchester City. Madrid triumphed over Borussia Dortmund at Wembley last season to claim a record-extending 15th European title.
Highlights to note
New Format: The traditional group stages have been replaced with a league phase where each team will play eight matches.
Teams to Watch: From England, Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Aston Villa have qualified, with Scottish champions Celtic also in the running.
Potential Blockbuster Matches: Teams from the same pot can now face each other, raising the possibility of major matchups like Real Madrid vs. Manchester City early in the competition.
Aston Villa’s European Return: Aston Villa, a former European champion from 1982, makes a long-awaited return to the Champions League after 41 years. Under Unai Emery, the team clinched a top-four finish last season, including notable victories over Manchester City and Arsenal.
Villa also reached the semi-finals of the Europa Conference League, where they were narrowly defeated by Olympiacos. Emery, with a record four Europa League titles, brings a wealth of experience to Villa’s Champions League campaign.
Fans at Villa Park can look forward to some electrifying European nights, though the team will need to find the right balance to avoid the pitfalls that hindered Newcastle’s campaign last season. The new format adds another layer of complexity to their journey.
How the draw works
The draw is set to be a mix of manual and automated processes. All eight matches will be against different teams, with four at home and four away, determined by seeding. Teams will be seeded into four pots based on their club coefficient, and the draw will ensure that no team faces an opponent from their own country.
The draw will be conducted manually, with automated software randomly assigning each team’s opponents, revealing the matchups on screen during the draw ceremony.