The Champions League fixtures are out. You can almost hear the anthem, can't you?
After a long summer, it's finally back, with a new look and slightly remixed theme tune. 108 days on from last season’s final, the tournament proper gets underway on Tuesday with arguably the biggest change for the competition in over 30 years.
Although the format was tweaked in the intervening years, 1992 was the last time the finals underwent such a revamp – when the old European Cup was rebranded. 2024/25 marks the first year of the single league phase as the first round, replacing the traditional group stage.
This sees the 36 qualifiers competing in one single league – with the top eight heading straight to the round of 16, sides finishing between 9th and 24th entering a play-off round and lower place clubs eliminated. Each club will play eight games, against eight different opposition – four at home and four away. And they won't play the same teams home and away. Got it?
If it takes you a while to get your head around hopefully this will help – we’ve put together a full list below of all 144 league phase fixtures, announced the Saturday after draws, taking place between now and January 29 – the final matchday.
We also have the info you need for the Europa League fixtures and the Conference League fixtures, too. Let's go!
VIDEO How The New Champions League Format Actually Works
Champions League fixtures: Every 2024/25 league phase game
Champions League group phase: Matchday 1
Champions League Matchday 1 fixtures
Tuesday, September 17 2024
- Young Boys 🇨🇭 vs 🏴 Aston Villa
- Juventus 🇮🇹 vs 🇳🇱 PSV Eindhoven
- Milan 🇮🇹 vs 🏴 Liverpool
- Bayern Munich 🇩🇪 vs 🇭🇷 Dinamo Zagreb
- Real Madrid 🇪🇸 vs 🇩🇪 VfB Stuttgart
- Sporting CP 🇵🇹 vs 🇫🇷 Lille
Wednesday, September 18 2024
- Sparta Prague 🇨🇿 vs 🇦🇹 Red Bull Salzburg
- Bologna 🇮🇹 vs 🇺🇦 Shakhtar Donetsk
- Celtic 🏴 vs 🇸🇰 Slovan Bratislava
- Club Brugge 🇧🇪 vs 🇩🇪 Borussia Dortmund
- Manchester City 🏴 vs 🇮🇹 Inter Milan
- Paris Saint-Germain 🇫🇷 vs 🇪🇸 Girona
Thursday, September 19 2024
- Feyenoord 🇳🇱 vs 🇩🇪 Bayer Leverkusen
- Red Star Belgrade 🇷🇸 vs 🇵🇹 Benfica
- Monaco 🇫🇷 vs 🇪🇸 Barcelona
- Atalanta 🇮🇹 vs 🏴 Arsenal
- Atletico Madrid 🇪🇸 vs 🇩🇪 RB Leipzig
- Brest 🇫🇷 vs 🇦🇹 Sturm Graz
The standout fixture of matchday one comes on the opening night at San Siro. Milan, six-time winners of the competition host six-time champions Liverpool in a glamour tie.
The following night Manchester City host Inter Milan at the Etihad Stadium – a repeat of the 2023 final in Istanbul. Also keep an eye out on Scottish champions Celtic who have a great chance of starting their campaign with maximum points, at home to Slovan Bratislava.
Champions League group phase: Matchday 2
Champions League Matchday 2 fixtures
Tuesday, October 1 2024
- Red Bull Salzburg 🇦🇹 vs 🇫🇷 Brest
- VfB Stuttgart 🇩🇪 vs 🇨🇿 Sparta Prague
- Arsenal 🏴 vs 🇫🇷 Paris Saint-Germain
- Bayer Leverkusen 🇩🇪 vs 🇮🇹 Milan
- Borussia Dortmund 🇩🇪 vs 🏴 Celtic
- Barcelona 🇪🇸 vs 🇨🇭 Young Boys
- Inter Milan 🇮🇹 vs 🇷🇸 Red Star Belgrade
- PSV Eindhoven 🇳🇱 vs 🇵🇹 Sporting CP
- Slovan Bratislava 🇸🇰 vs 🏴 Manchester City
Wednesday, October 2 2024
- Shakhtar Donetsk 🇺🇦 vs 🇮🇹 Atalanta
- Girona 🇪🇸 vs 🇳🇱 Feyenoord
- Aston Villa 🏴 vs 🇩🇪 Bayern Munich
- Dinamo Zagreb 🇭🇷 vs 🇫🇷 Monaco
- Liverpool 🏴 vs 🇮🇹 Bologna
- Lille 🇫🇷 vs 🇪🇸 Real Madrid
- RB Leipzig 🇩🇪 vs 🇮🇹 Juventus
- Sturm Graz 🇦🇹 vs 🇧🇪 Club Brugge
- Benfica 🇵🇹 vs 🇪🇸 Atletico Madrid
Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen have a potentially league-defining fixture on matchday two, the German champions hosting Milan. An all-Iberian clash between Benfica and Atletico Madrid is one to watch out for, while Girona will host a Champions League fixture for the first time when they face Feyenoord.
The second round of games also sees Aston Villa welcome back top-tier European football to Villa Park. They have the small task of welcoming Bayern Munich.
Champions League group phase: Matchday 3
Champions League Matchday 3 fixtures
Tuesday, October 22 2024
- Milan 🇮🇹 vs 🇧🇪 Club Brugge
- Monaco 🇫🇷 vs 🇷🇸 Red Star Belgrade
- Arsenal 🏴 vs 🇺🇦 Shakhtar Donetsk
- Aston Villa 🏴 vs 🇮🇹 Bologna
- Girona 🇪🇸 vs 🇸🇰 Slovan Bratislava
- Juventus 🇮🇹 vs 🇩🇪 VfB Stuttgart
- Paris Saint-Germain 🇫🇷 vs 🇳🇱 PSV Eindhoven
- Real Madrid 🇪🇸 vs 🇩🇪 Borussia Dortmund
- Sturm Graz 🇦🇹 vs 🇵🇹 Sporting CP
Wednesday, October 23 2024
- Atalanta 🇮🇹 vs 🏴 Celtic
- Brest 🇫🇷 vs 🇩🇪 Bayer Leverkusen
- Atletico Madrid 🇪🇸 vs 🇫🇷 Lille
- Young Boys 🇨🇭 vs 🇮🇹 Inter Milan
- Barcelona 🇪🇸 vs 🇩🇪 Bayern Munich
- Red Bull Salzburg 🇦🇹 vs 🇭🇷 Dinamo Zagreb
- Manchester City 🏴 vs 🇨🇿 Sparta Prague
- RB Leipzig 🇩🇪 vs 🏴 Liverpool
- Benfica 🇵🇹 vs 🇳🇱 Feyenoord
Only one place to start on Matchday 3. Real Madrid (and a certain Jude Bellingham) are facing Borussia Dortmund in a repeat of last season's final.
Liverpool face fellow top-seeds for the first time when they travel to the Red Bull Arena to face RB Leipzig. PSV Eindhoven will be hoping to shock Luis Enrique's Paris Saint-Germain when they travel to the French capital.
Champions League group phase: Matchday 4
Champions League Matchday 4 fixtures
Tuesday, November 5 2024
- PSV Eindhoven 🇳🇱 vs 🇪🇸 Girona
- Slovan Bratislava 🇸🇰 vs 🇭🇷 Dinamo Zagreb
- Bologna 🇮🇹 vs 🇫🇷 Monaco
- Borussia Dortmund 🇩🇪 vs 🇦🇹 Sturm Graz
- Celtic 🏴 vs 🇩🇪 RB Leipzig
- Liverpool 🏴 vs 🇩🇪 Bayer Leverkusen
- Lille 🇫🇷 vs 🇮🇹 Juventus
- Real Madrid 🇪🇸 vs 🇮🇹 Milan
- Sporting CP 🇵🇹 vs 🏴 Manchester City
Wednesday, November 6 2024
- Club Brugge 🇧🇪 vs 🏴 Aston Villa
- Shakhtar Donetsk 🇺🇦 vs 🇨🇭 Young Boys
- Sparta Prague 🇨🇿 vs 🇫🇷 Brest
- Bayern Munich 🇩🇪 vs 🇵🇹 Benfica
- Inter Milan 🇮🇹 vs 🏴 Arsenal
- Feyenoord 🇳🇱 vs 🇦🇹 Red Bull Salzburg
- Red Star Belgrade 🇷🇸 vs 🇪🇸 Barcelona
- Paris Saint-Germain 🇫🇷 vs 🇪🇸 Atletico Madrid
- VfB Stuttgart 🇩🇪 vs 🇮🇹 Atalanta
The midway point of the league phase sees Manchester City travel to Sporting and Xabi Alonso return to Anfield as Liverpool take on Bayer Leverkusen.
Arsenal also face a tough task when they travel to San Siro to face Inter. The Gunners will be looking to channel the spirit of 2002 when Thierry Henry and Robert Pires ran riot in a 5-1 thrashing. By this stage the league table will be taking shape.
Champions League group phase: Matchday 5
Champions League Matchday 5 fixtures
Tuesday, November 26 2024
- Sparta Prague 🇨🇿 vs 🇪🇸 Atletico Madrid
- Slovan Bratislava 🇸🇰 vs 🇮🇹 Milan
- Bayer Leverkusen 🇩🇪 vs 🇦🇹 Red Bull Salzburg
- Young Boys 🇨🇭 vs 🇮🇹 Atalanta
- Barcelona 🇪🇸 vs 🇫🇷 Brest
- Bayern Munich 🇩🇪 vs 🇫🇷 Paris Saint-Germain
- Inter Milan 🇮🇹 vs 🇩🇪 RB Leipzig
- Manchester City 🏴 vs 🇳🇱 Feyenoord
- Sporting CP 🇵🇹 vs 🏴 Arsenal
Wednesday, November 27 2024
- Red Star Belgrade 🇷🇸 vs 🇩🇪 VfB Stuttgart
- Sturm Graz 🇦🇹 vs 🇪🇸 Girona
- Monaco 🇫🇷 vs 🇵🇹 Benfica
- Aston Villa 🏴 vs 🇮🇹 Juventus
- Bologna 🇮🇹 vs 🇫🇷 Lille
- Celtic 🏴 vs 🇧🇪 Club Brugge
- Dinamo Zagreb 🇭🇷 vs 🇩🇪 Borussia Dortmund
- Liverpool 🏴 vs 🇪🇸 Real Madrid
- PSV Eindhoven 🇳🇱 vs 🇺🇦 Shakhtar Donetsk
On paper matchday five probably looks the best round of games. It also could make or break Celtic's Champions League campaign. The Bhoys host Club Brugge under the lights at Celtic Park – a win may be required if they are serious about reaching the knock-out stage.
Elsewhere, Aston Villa will be reunited with Douglas Luiz as they host Italian giants Juventus. Liverpool welcome Real Madrid to Anfield in another heavyweight bout, while French dark horses Brest travel to Barcelona.
Champions League group phase: Matchday 6
Champions League Matchday 6 fixtures
Tuesday, December 10 2024
- Girona 🇪🇸 vs 🏴 Liverpool
- Dinamo Zagreb 🇭🇷 vs 🏴 Celtic
- Atalanta 🇮🇹 vs 🇪🇸 Real Madrid
- Bayer Leverkusen 🇩🇪 vs 🇮🇹 Inter Milan
- Club Brugge 🇧🇪 vs 🇵🇹 Sporting CP
- Red Bull Salzburg 🇦🇹 vs 🇫🇷 Paris Saint-Germain
- Shakhtar Donetsk 🇺🇦 vs 🇩🇪 Bayern Munich
- RB Leipzig 🇩🇪 vs 🏴 Aston Villa
- Brest 🇫🇷 vs 🇳🇱 PSV Eindhoven
Wednesday, December 11 2024
- Atletico Madrid 🇪🇸 vs 🇸🇰 Slovan Bratislava
- Lille 🇫🇷 vs 🇦🇹 Sturm Graz
- Milan 🇮🇹 vs 🇷🇸 Red Star Belgrade
- Arsenal 🏴 vs 🇫🇷 Monaco
- Borussia Dortmund 🇩🇪 vs 🇪🇸 Barcelona
- Feyenoord 🇳🇱 vs 🇨🇿 Sparta Prague
- Juventus 🇮🇹 vs 🏴 Manchester City
- Benfica 🇵🇹 vs 🇮🇹 Bologna
- VfB Stuttgart 🇩🇪 vs 🇨🇭 Young Boys
The final set of games before the New Year sees Atalanta host holders Real Madrid in Bergamo. Fellow Serie A side Bologna also face a potentially decisive night, when they travel to Benfica on the Wednesday.
Should they still need to make sure of a top eight finish, Manchester City have a tricky assignment, away to Juventus in Turin.
Champions League group phase: Matchday 7
Champions League Matchday 7 fixtures
Tuesday, January 21 2024
- Monaco 🇫🇷 vs 🏴 Aston Villa
- Atalanta 🇮🇹 vs 🇦🇹 Sturm Graz
- Atletico Madrid 🇪🇸 vs 🇩🇪 Bayer Leverkusen
- Bologna 🇮🇹 vs 🇩🇪 Borussia Dortmund
- Club Brugge 🇧🇪 vs 🇮🇹 Juventus
- Red Star Belgrade 🇷🇸 vs 🇳🇱 PSV Eindhoven
- Liverpool 🏴 vs 🇫🇷 Lille
- Slovan Bratislava 🇸🇰 vs 🇩🇪 VfB Stuttgart
- Benfica 🇵🇹 vs 🇪🇸 Barcelona
Wednesday, January 22 2024
- Shakhtar Donetsk 🇺🇦 vs 🇫🇷 Brest
- RB Leipzig 🇩🇪 vs 🇵🇹 Sporting CP
- Milan 🇮🇹 vs 🇪🇸 Girona
- Sparta Prague 🇨🇿 vs 🇮🇹 Inter Milan
- Arsenal 🏴 vs 🇭🇷 Dinamo Zagreb
- Celtic 🏴 vs 🇨🇭 Young Boys
- Feyenoord 🇳🇱 vs 🇩🇪 Bayern Munich
- Paris Saint-Germain 🇫🇷 vs 🏴 Manchester City
- Real Madrid 🇪🇸 vs 🇦🇹 Red Bull Salzburg
The penultimate round of games features a standout tie with PSG hosting Manchester City. Atletico Madrid welcome Europa League runners-up Leverkusen to the Metropolitano Stadium, while Liverpool's final home game of the league phase sees Lille head to Anfield.
Champions League group phase: Matchday 8
Champions League Matchday 8 fixtures
Monday, January 29 2024
- Aston Villa 🏴 vs 🏴 Celtic
- Bayer Leverkusen 🇩🇪 vs 🇨🇿 Sparta Prague
- Borussia Dortmund 🇩🇪 vs 🇺🇦 Shakhtar Donetsk
- Young Boys 🇨🇭 vs 🇷🇸 Red Star Belgrade
- Barcelona 🇪🇸 vs 🇮🇹 Atalanta
- Bayern Munich 🇩🇪 vs 🇸🇰 Slovan Bratislava
- Inter Milan 🇮🇹 vs 🇫🇷 Monaco
- Red Bull Salzburg 🇦🇹 vs 🇪🇸 Atletico Madrid
- Girona 🇪🇸 vs 🏴 Arsenal
- Dinamo Zagreb 🇭🇷 vs 🇮🇹 Milan
- Juventus 🇮🇹 vs 🇵🇹 Benfica
- Lille 🇫🇷 vs 🇳🇱 Feyenoord
- Manchester City 🏴 vs 🇧🇪 Club Brugge
- PSV Eindhoven 🇳🇱 vs 🏴 Liverpool
- Sturm Graz 🇦🇹 vs 🇩🇪 RB Leipzig
- Sporting CP 🇵🇹 vs 🇮🇹 Bologna
- Brest 🇫🇷 vs 🇪🇸 Real Madrid
- VfB Stuttgart 🇩🇪 vs 🇫🇷 Paris Saint-Germain
The final round of fixtures sees all 18 matches kick-off at 8pm (UK time) on the same night, January 29, 2025. A 'battle of Britain' at Villa Park could prove the highlight where Aston Villa welcome Celtic. Expect the atmosphere to be electrically charged if both sides need points to stay in the tournament.
Tournament debutants Girona will conclude their first league campaign by welcoming Arsenal, while a mouth-watering tie sees Juventus take on Benfica in Turin. Liverpool will hope to have a top-eight finish secured before their final game, a tricky looking trip to Eindhoven to play PSV.
Frequently asked questions
How does the knockout stage of the new Champions League work?
Although the tournament will have a familiar format from the round of 16 onwards, there is one other major new feature for the tournament.
This is the preliminary round, what UEFA officially calls the knockout phase play-off round. Teams who finish from 9th to 24h in the final table from the league phase will enter this round, needing to win their tie to reach the last 16.
This round will be seeded. So it is beneficial to finish from 9th-16th, as you’ll then be guaranteed to play a team that finished between 17th and 24th – as well as getting the all-important second leg at home.
The eight winning teams from the play-off round join the top eight from the league phase in the last 16, those ties taking place at the beginning of March.
From then on, it’s as you were. UEFA have also yet to reintroduce the away goals rule. If ties finish level on aggregate after two legs, extra-time and, if needed, a penalty shootout will take place.
Why are there fixtures on Thursday September 19?
As the TNT Sports anthem has proudly declared in recent years, “THURSDAY NIGHTS, ARE EUROPA NIGHTS.”
Except this year, on September 19, they aren’t. This date will see Champions League football played on a Thursday night for the very first time (not including qualifying)
To give the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League their own space, each competition will get their own designated ‘exclusive week’ during the league phases.
The other two tournaments won’t play fixtures during these weeks. The Champions League’s exclusive week is the opening week of the competition.
As a result UEFA have split the opening matchday across three nights, 17, 18 and 19 of September. With no Europa or Conference football taking place that week, Thursday night will, temporarily, become a Champions League night.
Why did UEFA change the Champions League into a league phase?
Officially, UEFA say the new league format will “involve more European teams in each competition and will allow fans to not only see more top European matches but also to see those matches take place earlier in the competition.”
That is true we do get more variety of the top sides facing each other. For example, Liverpool play, Real Madrid, AC Milan, Bayer Leverkusen and RB Leipzig in the league phase.
Under the old group stage format, the Reds would have only met one of Milan or Leverkusen and played them twice.
UEFA also insist that every game now counts, whereas the old group stage often featured plenty of dead rubbers on matchday six.
Realistically the increase in jeopardy UEFA are seeking, can only be proven once the tournament plays out. It is still hard to see how the top seeds are in any real danger of not reaching the last 16 – at worst they’ll have to get through an extra play-off tie.
As ever in modern football money is the real driving factor. An increase in matchdays and more guaranteed games means a bigger financial pot overall.
UEFA will hope this is enough to keep the perpetual shadow of the European Super League at bay.
