Real Madrid Begins UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Campaign

Real Madrid, one of the most successful clubs in European football history, will commence their UEFA Champions League 2024-25 journey on September 17. The Spanish giants will host VfB Stuttgart at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid.

Real Madrid, often referred to as “Los Blancos,” hold a record 15 UEFA Champions League titles. The team has undergone significant changes recently, notably the retirement of star midfielder Toni Kroos. However, they have strengthened their squad by signing French star Kylian Mbappe and Brazilian talent Endrick.

The 2024-25 season of the UEFA Champions League introduces a new format. Under this system, 36 clubs across Europe’s top competitions will compete in a league phase, replacing the former group stage. Each club will play eight matches against different opponents, equally split between home and away games.

In this new setup, the performance in each match influences the league standings. The top eight teams will advance directly to the round of 16. Meanwhile, clubs finishing from 9th to 24th place will participate in a two-legged knock-out play-off phase to secure remaining spots in the round of 16. Teams finishing lower than 24th will be eliminated from the competition.

Real Madrid’s league phase fixtures include games against VfB Stuttgart, LOSC Lille, Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan, Liverpool, Atalanta, Red Bull Salzburg, and Stade Brestois 29. The Spanish team will play away matches against Lille, Liverpool, Atalanta in Bergamo, and Brest.

An eagerly anticipated home fixture against Borussia Dortmund is scheduled for October 23, featuring a rematch of the 2023-24 UCL final, where Real Madrid claimed a 2-0 victory. The rivalry with Liverpool, rekindled by their encounters in the 2017-18 and 2021-22 finals, will resume with an away match on November 28.

The UEFA Champions League league phase will conclude on January 30, with the subsequent knock-out stages starting in February. This season’s final will be held on May 31 at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany.

In addition to their Champions League campaign, Real Madrid will compete domestically in La Liga, as well as the Supercopa de España and Copa del Rey.