Aston Villa will find out their opponents in the 2024/25 Champions League this week.
The club’s first appearance in European football’s premier competition since 1983 will be something to savour for every Villan around the world.
There is also a new format for the Champions League this term, meaning more matches for fans to enjoy.
Find out all you need to know about the competition and group stage draw below…
The format
UEFA has expanded the Champions League from 32 teams to 36, as well as making major changes to the format.
The group stages have been replaced by a league phase which will see each team play eight matches (four home, four away) against eight different opponents.
After all matches are played, the top eight in the league standings advance directly to the round of 16.
Teams who finish ninth to 24th will contest the knockout phase play-offs, with the victors going through to the round of 16. From then on it is a straight knockout.
Previously, the third-place teams in the group phase would drop into the Europa League, but this is no longer the case. Clubs that finish 25th or lower in the league phase will be eliminated from Europe, with no access to other tournaments.
Which teams will Villa play?
Teams will be seeded in four pots based on their individual club coefficient at the beginning of the season.
We will be drawn against two opponents from each pot, playing one tie at home and one away.
In the league phase teams cannot face opponents from their own country and can be drawn against a maximum of two sides from the same country.
The following 31 teams have confirmed their place in the competition alongside Villa, with the final play-off ties taking place on Wednesday (August 28) night.
AC Milan, Arsenal, Atalanta, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich, Benfica, Bologna, Borussia Dortmund, Brest, Celtic, Club Brugge, Feyenoord, Girona, Internazionale, Juventus, Liverpool, Manchester City, Monaco, Paris Saint-Germain, PSV Eindhoven, RB Leipzig, Real Madrid, Red Bull Salzburg Salzburg, Shakhtar Donetsk, Sparta Praha, Sporting CP, Sturm Graz, Stuttgart, Young Boys.
When is the draw?
The Champions League draw will take place on Thursday, August 29.
The draw will begin at 5pm BST at the Grimaldi Forum in Monte Carlo, Monaco.
How does the draw work?
All 36 teams will be manually drawn using physical balls. For every team manually drawn, a designated automated software will randomly draw their opponents, who will be revealed on screen in the draw hall and on television. The software will also decide which matches will be at home and which ones away.
The draw will start with Pot 1, assigning opponents to all teams, one after the other, and will continue with the other pots in descending order until all teams have been assigned their opponents.
Where can I watch the draw?
The Champions League draw will be streamed live for free via UEFA here.
When are the league phase matches?
Provisional dates for the league phase can be seen below…
Matchday 1: 17–19 September 2024
Matchday 2: 1/2 October 2024
Matchday 3: 22/23 October 2024
Matchday 4: 5/6 November 2024
Matchday 5: 26/27 November 2024
Matchday 6: 10/11 December 2024
Matchday 7: 21/22 January 2025
Matchday 8: 29 January 2025
When will fixtures be confirmed?
The fixture list with match dates and kick-off times will be announced on Saturday, August 31, to ensure no calendar clashes across the competition
When does the knockout phase take place?
Knockout phase play-offs: 11/12 and 18/19 February 2025
Round of 16: 4/5 and 11/12 March 2025
Quarter-finals: 8/9 and 15/16 April 2025
Semi-finals: 29/30 April and 6/7 May 2025
Final: 31 May 2025, Allianz Arena, Munich
