Home of football statistics and historyFourteen teams are now just one step away from claiming one of the remaining seven spots in the revamped 2024/25 Champions League.
This year’s competition will feature a 36-team league phase for the first time, ending the previous group stage format that fans had become familiar with.
Big-hitters such as Manchester City and Real Madrid have already booked their places in the league phase and are the favourites to lift the trophy.
However, the 14 teams in the qualification play-off round will be dreaming about claiming a spot alongside them to set up some lucrative pay days.
Read on as we look at the play-off round draw, before assessing how the revised set-up will work during the rest of the prestigious competition.
Champions League 2024/25 play-off round draw
The play-off round will determine which clubs take the seven remaining spots in the league phase. The Champions League fixtures are as follows:
Champions path
- Young Boys vs Galatasaray
- Dinamo Zagreb vs Qarabag
- Midtjylland vs Slovan Bratislava
- Bodo/Glimt vs Red Star Belgrade
- Malmo vs Sparta Prague
League path
- Lille vs Slavia Prague
- Dynamo Kyiv vs Red Bull Salzburg
Dynamo Kyiv booked their place on the play-off round after completing a controversial 3-1 aggregate victory over Scottish Premiership giants Rangers.
The Ukrainian side capitalised on Brazilian winger Jefte’s dismissal in the second leg to book a showdown tie against Red Bull Salzburg.
The Austrian team survived a late comeback by Twente Enschede to claim a 5-4 aggregate victory and progress to the final qualification stage.
Jose Mourinho’s hopes of leading Fenerbahce to the league phase were ended after Jonathan David’s extra-time penalty earned a 3-2 aggregate victory for Lille.
The French outfit will now face Slavia Prague, while Fenerbahce will drop into the Europa League following their exit from UEFA’s top club competition.
Malmo defeated PAOK on penalties to set up a play-off with Sparta Prague, who edged past Romanian side FCSB 4-3 on aggregate.
Qarabag, Dinamo Zagreb, Bodo/Glimt and Red Star Belgrade are among the other teams who face a date with destiny in the Champions League play-off round.
The first legs of the ties will be played on August 20/21, with the reverse fixtures scheduled to take place on August 27/28.
Champions League 2024/25 league phase
Teams were previously drawn into eight groups of four and played six games during the opening phase of the Champions League.
However, teams will be placed into a single league table in the revamped format and will play eight matches – four home and four away.
The 36 clubs will be divided into four pots of nine, which will be based on UEFA’s five-year club coefficient based on previous performances. The pots are as follows:
- Pot 1: Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool, Inter Milan, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, Barcelona.
- Pot 2: Bayer Leverkusen, Atletico Madrid, Atalanta, Juventus, Benfica, Arsenal, Club Brugge, Shakhtar Donetsk.
- Pot 2 or 3: AC Milan.
- Pot 3: Feyenoord, Sporting CP, PSV Eindhoven.
- Pot 3 or 4: Celtic.
- Pot 4: Monaco, Aston Villa, Bologna, Girona, Stuttgart, Sturm Graz, Brest.
The pots for the league phase will be finalised once all 36 qualifiers are determined.
Champions League 2024/25 key dates
- Matchday 1: September 17-19, 2024
- Matchday 2: October 1/2, 2024
- Matchday 3: October 22/23, 2024
- Matchday 4: November 5/6, 2024
- Matchday 5: November 26/27, 2024
- Matchday 6: December 10/11, 2024
- Matchday 7: January 21/22, 2025
- Matchday 8: January 29, 2025
- Knockout round play-offs: February 11/12 and February 18/19, 2025
- Round of 16: March 4/5 and March 11/12, 2025
- Quarter-finals: April 8/9 and April 15/16, 2025
- Semi-finals: April 29/30 and May 6/7, 2025
The final of the 2024/25 Champions League will be staged at the Allianz Arena in Munich on May 31, 2025.
Fan Engagement During the Champions League 2024/25 Play-Offs
As the 2024/25 Champions League play-offs unfold, fan engagement takes centre stage in cities like
Zagreb, Prague, and Lille. Local pubs and fan zones transform into hubs of activity, where fans gather
to catch the live action on big screens. These venues offer a rich array of themed menus and
matchday specials, creating a communal atmosphere that mirrors the intensity and excitement of
the games. Amidst the shared cheers, fans participate in various activities, from football quizzes to
playing casino games on platforms like 32 Red Online Casino.
The engagement also extends online, where clubs harness the power of social media to unite fans
globally. Through live tweets, behind-the-scenes content, and interactive polls, clubs amplify the
excitement of the play-offs, making fans feel more connected to the action.
0 Comments