How the Champions League table works and how many teams qualify as Arsenal, Liverpool and Man City look to climb standings
The new-look Champions League is well underway but it continues to provide a headache for fans mapping teams’ road to the knockouts. UEFA‘s premier competition has undergone a radical revamp for the 2024/25 season, with a 36-team league replacing the old-style group stage. Liverpool have won both of their Champions League games so farGetty Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, Aston Villa and Celtic are the five British representatives involved in the debut of this new format. As a result of the expansion, all sides will play an extra two games guaranteed as the League Phase runs across eight game weeks. Qualification runs until January, while there will be no more drop down to the Europa League so here’s how it all works… How does the Champions League table work? All 36 teams involved in the competition are included in one singular table – which is formatted in the same style as domestic leagues. Over a designated 10-week period, each side will play eight matches, which have been split randomly between home and away fixtures. The top eight teams will automatically qualify for the knockout stage. Those that finish from ninth to 24th in the table can still reach the last 16 but via successfully winning a two-legged play-off. The teams that finish between 9th and 16th will be seeded in that play-off draw, and will play a side that ended between 17th to 24th – with, in principle, the return leg also at home. The eight respective play-off winners will qualify for the knockouts. Teams that finish 25th or lower will be eliminated from all UEFA competition instantly, with no access to the Europa League. Champions League Matchday 4 fixtures Tuesday 5 November PSV Eindhoven vs Girona, 5:45pm Slovan Bratislava vs GNK Dinamo Zagreb, 5:45pm Bologna vs Monaco, 8pm Borussia Dortmund vs Sturm Graz, 8pm Celtic vs RB Leipzig, 8pm Liverpool vs Bayer Leverkusen, 8pm LOSC Lille vs Juventus, 8pm Real Madrid vs Milan, 8pm Sporting CP vs Manchester City, 8pm – LIVE on talkSPORT Wednesday 6 November Club Brugge vs Aston Villa, 5:45pm – LIVE on talkSPORT Shakhtar Donetsk vs Young Boys, 5:45pm Sparta Prague vs Brest, 8pm Bayern Munchen vs Benfica, 8pm Inter Milan vs Arsenal, 8pm – LIVE on talkSPORT Feyenoord vs RB Salzburg, 8pm Red Star Belgrade vs Barcelona, 8pm Paris Saint-Germain vs Atletico Madrid, 8pm Stuttgart vs Atalanta, 8pm Haaland scored his 42nd Champions League goal last time outGetty As mentioned, it will still remain three points for every win, one for a draw and nothing for a defeat as is the case in domestic divisions. The assignment of fixtures, which has discarded playing every team twice, sees some top clubs take on the same minnows which may present some qualification problems. If two or more teams are equal on points by the end of the league phase then qualification will be determined by certain criteria. Goal difference, goals scored, most away goals, number of wins, and number of away wins are the standard five factors involved. Failing all that, the achievements of team’s respective league phase opponents will be pitted against each other from number of points, the superior goal difference, and the highest number of goals scored. The final two criteria if needed will be who has the lower disciplinary points total, and then finally, which has the higher club coefficient. From the last 16, there is also set to be a tennis-style seeding system, that rewards the top eight teams that qualified automatically with a tie against one of the unseeded winners of the knockout phase play-offs. This ensures that the top four teams can’t play each other until the semi-finals, while the top two from the league could only face one another in a potential final. talkSPORT BET Offer Bet £10 on the Champions League and get £30 in free bets CLAIM HERE T&Cs: 18+ New customers only. Opt in & bet £10+ via mobile on any football market at 2.00+ odds within 7 days. No Cash out. Get 6x £5 Free Bets on selected markets. Free bets expire in 7 days. Card payments & Apple Pay only. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org | Please gamble responsibly Check out all the best free bets and offers from talkSPORT and our partners Check out all the latest free bets and betting offers from talkSPORT’s partners.
The new-look Champions League is well underway but it continues to provide a headache for fans mapping teams’ road to the knockouts.
UEFA‘s premier competition has undergone a radical revamp for the 2024/25 season, with a 36-team league replacing the old-style group stage.
Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, Aston Villa and Celtic are the five British representatives involved in the debut of this new format.
As a result of the expansion, all sides will play an extra two games guaranteed as the League Phase runs across eight game weeks.
Qualification runs until January, while there will be no more drop down to the Europa League so here’s how it all works…
How does the Champions League table work?
All 36 teams involved in the competition are included in one singular table – which is formatted in the same style as domestic leagues.
Over a designated 10-week period, each side will play eight matches, which have been split randomly between home and away fixtures.
The top eight teams will automatically qualify for the knockout stage.
Those that finish from ninth to 24th in the table can still reach the last 16 but via successfully winning a two-legged play-off.
The teams that finish between 9th and 16th will be seeded in that play-off draw, and will play a side that ended between 17th to 24th – with, in principle, the return leg also at home.
The eight respective play-off winners will qualify for the knockouts.
Teams that finish 25th or lower will be eliminated from all UEFA competition instantly, with no access to the Europa League.
Champions League Matchday 4 fixtures
Tuesday 5 November
- PSV Eindhoven vs Girona, 5:45pm
- Slovan Bratislava vs GNK Dinamo Zagreb, 5:45pm
- Bologna vs Monaco, 8pm
- Borussia Dortmund vs Sturm Graz, 8pm
- Celtic vs RB Leipzig, 8pm
- Liverpool vs Bayer Leverkusen, 8pm
- LOSC Lille vs Juventus, 8pm
- Real Madrid vs Milan, 8pm
- Sporting CP vs Manchester City, 8pm – LIVE on talkSPORT
Wednesday 6 November
- Club Brugge vs Aston Villa, 5:45pm – LIVE on talkSPORT
- Shakhtar Donetsk vs Young Boys, 5:45pm
- Sparta Prague vs Brest, 8pm
- Bayern Munchen vs Benfica, 8pm
- Inter Milan vs Arsenal, 8pm – LIVE on talkSPORT
- Feyenoord vs RB Salzburg, 8pm
- Red Star Belgrade vs Barcelona, 8pm
- Paris Saint-Germain vs Atletico Madrid, 8pm
- Stuttgart vs Atalanta, 8pm
As mentioned, it will still remain three points for every win, one for a draw and nothing for a defeat as is the case in domestic divisions.
The assignment of fixtures, which has discarded playing every team twice, sees some top clubs take on the same minnows which may present some qualification problems.
If two or more teams are equal on points by the end of the league phase then qualification will be determined by certain criteria.
Goal difference, goals scored, most away goals, number of wins, and number of away wins are the standard five factors involved.
Failing all that, the achievements of team’s respective league phase opponents will be pitted against each other from number of points, the superior goal difference, and the highest number of goals scored.
The final two criteria if needed will be who has the lower disciplinary points total, and then finally, which has the higher club coefficient.
From the last 16, there is also set to be a tennis-style seeding system, that rewards the top eight teams that qualified automatically with a tie against one of the unseeded winners of the knockout phase play-offs.
This ensures that the top four teams can’t play each other until the semi-finals, while the top two from the league could only face one another in a potential final.
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Bet £10 on the Champions League and get £30 in free bets
T&Cs: 18+ New customers only. Opt in & bet £10+ via mobile on any football market at 2.00+ odds within 7 days. No Cash out. Get 6x £5 Free Bets on selected markets. Free bets expire in 7 days. Card payments & Apple Pay only. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org | Please gamble responsibly
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