Meanwhile, Chelsea and Liverpool are rapturously preparing as they await the fiercest of Champions League adventures. They will be going up against some stiff competition with the newly formed league format beginning Sept. 16-18, 2025. This new format takes the place of the old group stage. Teams have always competed against 31 other squads, but those 31 teams are no longer piddling patsies.
Chelsea’s league-phase schedule features marquee match-ups with Barcelona at home, Bayern Munich on the road and a few other daunting surprises just beyond the horizon. Their full slate of rivals so far consists of Benfica, Atalanta, Ajax, Napoli, Pafos and Qarabag. With this lineup, the league phase is sure to be one hell of a ride! These four home and four away fixtures will be played from September 2025 to January 2026.
Liverpool, meanwhile, faces an equally daunting task. They’ll meet Real Madrid, who Manchester City will be facing in the other semi-final – a formidable field of clubs. As they move through league-phase opponents, Liverpool’s matches will no doubt be a great test of skill and nerve. Like Chelsea, the group stage will involve Liverpool playing four league games in four different cities.
New Format Overview
The new league phase format will be introduced in the 2024/25 season. This new provision makes a major shift in determining which teams make it to the knockout stage. All six of the Premier League clubs will be guaranteed eight league-phase matches. They’ll play home-and-away against one team from each of the four pots—essentially, eight total matches. This alignment is intended to foster greater competitive balance and give teams a better mix of opponents across various levels of competition.
One notable feature of this format is how the top eight teams in the league earn automatic berths. Further, they will even move on to the round of 16. Any team finishing 25th or below will be immediately dropped from the tournament. They will have no second opportunity to fall back into the Europa League. This introduces another layer of stakes for every match played in apart from the league phase.
Achieving this balance is designed to create equity among teams while keeping anticipation high for the entire tournament.
Match Schedule and Knockout Phase
Matchday 1 on September 16-18, 2025 will bring a ton of excitement from fans around the world for these first encounters. The draw for the two-legged knockout phase play-offs is set to be held on January 30, 2026. After this, the knockout play-offs will be held on the 17th/18th and 24th/25th February.
This year’s final of this storied tournament will be held at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary. Save the date — May 30, 2026! Teams will battle it out to earn their place in this legendary showdown. Yet, more than anything, they hope to prove the depth of their talent on a European stage.
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