Since the competition first started in 1955, Champions League has forged the biggest legends of European football. With unforgettable matches, epic comebacks and finals that have marked generations, the tournament represents the pinnacle of continental success.

This season, Europe’s elite competition is taking a new shape. For the first time since 1992, the number of clubs in the group stage has been increased to 36. In addition to that, the group format has been replaced with a league phase where teams play eight games against each other, four home and four away, in a system known as a ‘league table’. The top eight in the league table will qualify automatically for the last 16 while the bottom two go into a two-legged knockout play-off to join them.

In the league table, each team’s result against their opponents is added to a points total for both the home and away leg of each match. The teams with the highest total after both legs will advance to the last 16, with disciplinary points taken into account as well – red and yellow cards earning a club three and one point respectively.

A draw is made to determine the pairings for the knockout phase, with teams ranked ninth to 24 entering a playoff round in February and guaranteed a second-leg home advantage at all stages of the competition. This change was designed to strengthen the synergy between the league and knockout phases of the tournament, while also highlighting the importance of finishing as high as possible in the league phase.