The UEFA Champions League draw is just around the corner, and Celtic are soon to find out who they will face in the League Phase of the competition.
Celtic are only days away from learning their fixtures for the upcoming 2024/25 UEFA Champions League, as Europe’s premier tournament begins. Brendan Rodgers’ team has started their domestic season flawlessly, winning their first three games with ease, and they will be looking to carry this strong form into Europe, aiming to reach the knockout stages of the competition for the first time since 2012.
Last year, the Hoops faced disappointment in the Champions League, losing four out of six Group E matches. However, they ended on a high note with a 2-1 victory over Feyenoord at Celtic Park. With key summer signings Adam Idah and Kasper Schmeichel, Celtic appear well-prepared to make a fresh push for the knockout stages this time around.
Here’s what you need to know about the revamped Champions League, who Celtic might face, and when the League Phase draw will take place.
### Overview of the New Champions League Format
The 2024/25 season introduces a brand-new format for the Champions League, replacing the traditional group stage with a ‘League Phase.’ In the past, 32 teams were divided into eight groups of four, with each team playing the others home and away. The top two teams from each group would then move on to the last 16. However, this structure has been altered.
Under the new format, 36 clubs will compete in a ‘League Phase,’ where they will no longer play three teams home and away in groups. Instead, each team will face eight different opponents, with four home games and four away games. Teams will be placed into four seeding pots, and each will be drawn to play two teams from each pot—one at home and one away.
### Champions League Draw Details and How to Watch Live
The draw for the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League will be held at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco on Thursday, 29 August 2024. Although UEFA has yet to confirm the exact start time, the draw is expected to take place around 7pm UK time. It will be broadcast live on TNT Sports in the UK and can also be streamed via Discovery+ for those with a TNT subscription.
Additionally, the draw will be available to watch live on Amazon Prime Video, as the company has acquired UEFA rights in the UK for the first time.
### When Will Celtic Play in the UEFA Champions League?
The League Phase of the UEFA Champions League kicks off on Tuesday, 17 September 2024. Celtic’s first match in the 2024/25 Champions League will take place between 17–19 September 2024. The remaining matchdays are scheduled as follows:
– **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
### Who Could Celtic Face in the Champions League?
Celtic will enter the competition at the League Phase stage and have been placed in Pot 3 for the draw, along with teams like Feyenoord, Sporting CP, and PSV Eindhoven. However, due to the new format, the significance of the pots is reduced. Celtic will face two teams from each of the four pots, playing one match at home and one away.
Here are the current pots:
– **Pot 1:**
– Real Madrid
– Manchester City
– Bayern Munich
– PSG
– Liverpool
– Inter Milan
– Borussia Dortmund
– RB Leipzig
– Barcelona
– **Pot 2:**
– Bayer Leverkusen
– Atletico Madrid
– Atalanta
– Juventus
– Benfica
– Arsenal
– Club Brugge
– Shakhtar Donetsk
– AC Milan
– **Pot 3:**
– Feyenoord
– Sporting Lisbon
– PSV Eindhoven
– Winner of Young Boys vs. Galatasaray
– Dinamo Zagreb vs. Qarabag FK
– Winner of Lille vs. Slavia Prague
– **Pot 3 or 4:**
– Winner of Midtjylland vs. Slovan Bratislava
– Winner of Bodo/Glimt vs. Red Star Belgrade
– Winner of Dynamo Kiev vs. RB Salzburg
– **Pot 4:**
– Monaco
– Aston Villa
– Bologna
– Girona
– Stuttgart
– Sturm Graz
– Brest
– Winner of Malmo vs. Sparta Prague
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