Liverpool have learned who they will face in the revamped League Phase of the Champions League.
The six-time European champions are returning to Europe’s top table after a year in the Europa League, with Arne Slot leading them in the Champions League for the first time — in a revamped version of the competition, no less.
Slot’s side will open their campaign at home to the team that beat them in the 2022 final, Real Madrid, while they have another exciting Anfield clash against Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen, who are managed by Liverpool legend Xabi Alonso.
Among the Reds’ most exciting away trips are AC Milan and RB Leipzig.
As mentioned, the Champions League has been revamped this season. Instead of the traditional 32 teams split into eight groups of four, there’s now a single 36-team table, referred to as the ‘league phase’.
Teams will no longer play three opponents twice. Instead, each club will face eight different teams, with four home matches and four away.
To make the draw, teams were sorted into four seeding pots, and each club was drawn to play two opponents from each pot, with one game per pot at home and the other away.
The top eight teams from this league phase will automatically advance to the last 16, while teams ranked ninth to 24th will compete in a two-legged playoff round for the remaining spots.
Teams finishing 25th or lower will be eliminated from European competition entirely, rather than moving to the Europa League as has happened in previous seasons for teams finishing third in the group stage.
From the last-16 onward, the knockout rounds will proceed as normal.
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