Champions League 2024/25: Top teams favoured by new format | Football Blog

The draw for the 2024/25 Champions League has been completed and most of Europe’s top clubs will be rubbing their hands with glee at the fixtures.

The revamped format features an initial ‘league phase’, where each team plays eight games (4H, 4A) to determine who progresses to the knockout stage.

Teams who finish in the top eight qualify automatically for the last-16, while those who place ninth to 24th will take part in a two-legged knockout play-off for the chance to join them.

The bookies rate Manchester City as the favourites to win the tournament, while reigning champions Real Madrid are also prominent in the betting.

Who do the Premier League teams play?

The Premier League’s four representatives will fancy their chances of progressing to the knockout stage after landing relatively favourable draws.

• Manchester City: Inter Milan (H), Paris-Saint Germain (A), Club Brugge (H), Juventus (A), Feyenoord (H), Sporting CP (A), Sparta Prague (H), Slovan Bratislava (A).
• Liverpool: Real Madrid (H), RB Leipzig (A), Bayer Leverkusen (H), AC Milan (A), Lille (H), PSV Eindhoven (A), Bologna (H), Girona (A).
• Arsenal: Paris Saint-Germain (H), Inter Milan (A), Shakhtar Donetsk (H), Atalanta (A), Dinamo Zagreb (H), Sporting CP (A), Monaco (H), Girona (A).
• Aston Villa: Bayern Munich (H), RB Leipzig (A), Juventus (H), Club Brugge (A), Celtic (H), Young Boys (A), Bologna (H), Monaco (A)

Who do the other Pot 1 teams face?

Manchester City and Liverpool were in Pot 1 alongside seven other major European clubs. They were drawn as follows:

• Bayern Munich: Paris Saint-Germain (H), Barcelona (A), Benfica (H), Shakhtar Donetsk (A), Dinamo Zagreb (H), Feyenoord (A), Slovan Bratislava (H), Aston Villa (A).
• Real Madrid: Borussia Dortmund (H), Liverpool (A), AC Milan (H), Atalanta (A), Red Bull Salzburg (H), Lille (A), Stuttgart (H), Brest (A).
• Paris Saint-Germain: Manchester City (H), Bayern Munich (A), Atletico Madrid (H), Arsenal (A), PSV Eindhoven (H), Red Bull Salzburg (A), Girona (H), Stuttgart (A).
• Barcelona: Bayern Munich (H), Borussia Dortmund (A), Atalanta (H), Benfica (A), Young Boys (H), Red Star Belgrade (A), Brest (H), Monaco (A).
• Inter Milan: RB Leipzig (H), Arsenal (H), Bayer Leverkusen (A), Red Star Belgrade (H), Young Boys (A), Monaco (H), Sparta Prague (A).
• RB Leipzig: Liverpool (H), Inter Milan (A), Juventus (H), Atletico Madrid (A), Sporting CP (H), Celtic (A), Aston Villa (H), Sturm Graz (A).
• Borussia Dortmund: Barcelona (H), Real Madrid (A), Shakhtar Donetsk (H), Club Brugge (A), Celtic (H), Dinamo Zagreb (A), Sturm Graz (H), Bologna (A).

Premier League quartet fancied to progress

The Premier League’s quartet of clubs will fancy their chances of progressing to the knockout stage of the Champions League after being handed favourable draws.

Man City’s toughest tests are visits to PSG and Juventus, but their talented squad is more than capable of securing positive results.

The rest of the fixtures should pose few problems and Pep Guardiola’s side are strongly fancied to progress to the next stage of the competition.

Liverpool’s fixture list looks a little trickier on paper, with games against Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen particularly tough assignments.

Trips to RB Leipzig and AC Milan also have the potential to be difficult, but the Reds should be capable of safely navigating through the opening phase.

Arsenal should also make it through after being handed an easy draw, while Aston Villa could progress if they produce their best form.

They have been paired with Bayern Munich and Juventus, but both games are at Villa Park which gives them a better chance of picking up points.

Villa’s visits to Leipzig and Monaco are potential banana skins, but they are capable of returning with positive results from both games.