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The UEFA Champions League Wrapping his first ever 36 team group.

This season’s change includes a “Swiss model” group format that sees each team play eight games for the right to move on to the knockout scene. While some giants like LiverpoolBarcelona, ArsenalAnd Inter Milan has gone to the top of the position, the new system has opened the door for some surprises: Dutch side Feyenoord and French debutants Brest are currently sitting ahead of perennial challengers such as Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Juventus.

The biggest potential shock is further down on the table where Manchester City -The winners of four equal Premier League titles go against a must-win match against Club Brugge. Something less than a win will see one of the global football’s biggest powers on the sidelines of the knockout phase.

Here’s what to know about the new Champions League format and how to see the last set of group-step games.

Champions League format: How does group steps work?

In 2024-25, the Champions League made its first significant format change in many years. It included an extension of the pool of teams for qualification, as well as expanding the knockout phase to include one more round.

The long-standing setup saw 32 teams divided into eight groups of four, with the top two teams from each group moving on to a round-of-16 knockout round. From there it was simple: Get out on top in a couple of games against your opponent (one at home, one away) and you move on, with the last two teams, progress.

This season Champions League is very different. 36 teams qualified for the right tournament and the many small groups have been replaced by a huge table that brings together each participant. UEFA-on despite growing dissatisfaction with how many game-top-level professional teams are asked to play-have given each group step qualification an eight-game timetable (up from six previous years). The Champions League now contains 189 total games, an increase of 64 from the previous format 125.

Each team plays four home matches and four away, with UEFA using the “Swiss model” seen in international chess to sort a schedule. The eight teams that put together the best performance compared to this spelling go directly to the 16th round, while the lower 12 pages of the table are removed.

For the remaining 16 teams, advancement awaits a new “knockout-phase-play-off” round. UEFA uses standing order as a form of grafting, but will strangely include a draw to actually pair teams. For example, the teams that finish the ninth and 10th will be placed in a pot, while the teams in the 23rd and 24th (the last two bunks for the knockout scene) will be in another.

Drawing then pairs a team from each pot, which means the ninth placed team plays either the 23rd or 24th placed team. This process continues for the teams in the 11th and 12th (paired with the teams ending 21 and 22.) And so on, with each mating playing home-and-games 11-12 and 18-19.

The winners of these games join the top eight group participants in the 16 round, which will be sorted in a similar process that (in theory) give the best priesting teams a smaller enemy. From that time, the tournament returns to a normal rhythm where the eight winners continue to the quarterfinals, semi -finals and a final on May 31 at the Allianz Arena in Munich.

Champions League: Plan for Wednesday matches

All matches start at. 15.00 one. Homemade erected first.

  • 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 against Slovanian Bratislava
  • Inter Milan vs. Monaco
  • Red Bull Salzburg vs. Atlético Madrid
  • Girona vs. Arsenal
  • Dinamo Zagreb vs. AC Milan
  • Juventus vs. Benfica
  • Little vs. Feyenoord
  • Manchester City vs. Club Brugge
  • PSV vs. Liverpool
  • Sturm Graz vs. Rb Leipzig
  • Sporting CP vs. Bologna
  • Brest vs. Real Madrid
  • Stuttgart against Paris Saint-Germain

How to see Champions League Group Stage: Time, TV channel, streaming

The conclusion of the 2024-25 Champions League Group stage will see all 18 simultaneous games streamed on Paramount+With a game – Juventus vs. Benfica – Ships on CBS Sports Network.

Fans can stream the latter game on FUBOthat offers a free sample for new subscribers.

  • Date: Wednesday 29 January
  • Time: 15:00 one (12 pm pt)
  • TV: CBS SPORTS NETWORK (Juventus vs. Benfica only)
  • Streaming: Paramount+ For all games, FUBO (Juventus vs. Benfica only)

See the Champions League Group scene at Paramount+

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