While some may have found the new Champions League format, particularly the league phase, a bit uneventful, the results from the initial stage promise a thrilling continuation for UEFA’s elite competition. The revamped format came into the limelight during the play-off for the round of 16, revealing that Manchester City will face either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in their quest for a spot in the quarter-finals.

The league phase of the season has been described as “What madness,” by Madrid’s “Marca.”

All details will be revealed today at noon with a draw scheduled in Nyon, which will determine the matchups for the teams that finished between 9th and 24th places in the league.

UEFA aimed to prevent teams from this tier from facing each other directly, which means that, for instance, ninth-placed Atalanta cannot play against 24th-placed Club Brugge, nor can tenth-placed Borussia Dortmund face 23rd-placed Sporting, while 11th-placed Real Madrid meets 22nd-placed City directly.

They have opted for a different draw approach, leading to Atalanta (9) and Borussia (10) potentially facing Sporting (23) or Club Brugge (24), with Real (11) and Bayern (12) matched against Celtic (21) or City (22).

The draw also opens the possibility of a significant Italian derby in the play-offs, potentially pitting Milan against Juventus, as the possible opponents for the “Rossoneri” (13) and PSV (14) are the “Bianconeri” (20) and Feyenoord (19). The winners from these showdowns will then contend with Inter or Arsenal in the next round, making a derby encounter with one of Serie A’s giants possible.

The top eight teams in the league – Liverpool (1), Barcelona (2), Arsenal (3), Inter (4), Atletico Madrid (5), Bayer Leverkusen (6), Lille (7), and Aston Villa (8) – can now enjoy a well-deserved rest until the round of 16. They will only discover their opponents in the new draw after the play-off matches are concluded.

Currently, they are aware of four potential rivals for the round of 16, as Liverpool and Barca await one of the winners between Paris Saint-Germain (16), Benfica (17), Monaco (18), or Brest (20).

Atletico Madrid (5) and Bayer Leverkusen (6) might find themselves up against Real Madrid (11), Bayern Munich (12), Celtic (21), or Manchester City (22), while Lille (7) and Aston Villa (8) could face Atalanta (9), Borussia Dortmund (10), Sporting (23), or Club Brugge (24).

The league phase has concluded – regardless of opinions – and, as always, the true excitement of the Champions League kicks off with the knockout stage. This begins with the play-off matches (February 11/12 and 18/19), followed by the round of 16 (March 5/11 and 12/31), culminating in the grand finale on May 25, hosted at the Allianz Arena in Munich.

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