Monaco, Aug 29 (AP) Paris Saint-Germain faces a formidable start in defending its Champions League title, with the draw on Thursday offering no leniency. PSG is set to clash with powerhouses Bayern Munich and Barcelona, both drawn from the top-ranked pot. Tottenham joins them from the third-seeded pot, reminiscent of their thrilling Super Cup encounter just weeks ago. The French champions have also drawn two formidable opponents from the group of lowest-ranked teams: Newcastle and Athletic Bilbao.
The remainder of PSG's challenging schedule includes Bayer Leverkusen, Atalanta, and Portuguese champions Sporting Lisbon, forming part of the grueling eight matches in this 36-team league phase. PSG's president, Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, remains pragmatic: “It's always difficult. We left last season behind and are focused on this one.”
Madrid and Liverpool Reunite Real Madrid is also set for a challenging journey, including a matchup against Kairat Almaty of Kazakhstan, marking the Champions League's easternmost fixture at 6,420 kilometers (4,000 miles) from Madrid. The record 15-time champions have to face two elite English teams: Manchester City, whom they defeated in the last knockout playoffs, and Liverpool, looking to avenge their previous 2-0 league loss at Anfield.
Additional tests for Madrid include a face-off with Juventus, alongside French clubs Marseille and Monaco, where Kylian Mbappe first rose to fame. Liverpool’s fixtures include a much-anticipated return for Trent Alexander-Arnold at Anfield with Madrid, plus away games against Inter Milan, Eintracht Frankfurt, Marseille, and Galatasaray. “That, I am sure, is a fixture the whole world will glance at,” remarked Liverpool’s coach Arne Slot, reflecting on the Madrid showdown.
Rematches and Reunions Bayern Munich is encountering repeats of recent final matchups, lining up against Chelsea at home, recalling their 2012 defeat, and a rematch with PSG where Bayern triumphed in the 2020 final. Bayern is also poised to visit Cyprus to face Pafos. Manchester City will travel into Norway's Arctic Circle to confront Bodo/Glimt and will welcome Kevin De Bruyne back with his new squad, Napoli.
Inter Milan, having been within touching distance of two of the last three Champions League trophies, is set to host Liverpool and Arsenal—the Premier League's top contenders from last year. Inter previously bested Arsenal at the San Siro last season. Kairat will host Club Brugge, Olympiakos, and Pafos, but must also traverse four time zones to battle Arsenal and Sporting Lisbon in the west.
Bodo/Glimt will host Juventus, Tottenham, and Monaco, while Chelsea, Eintracht, Ajax, and Copenhagen will face the significant travel to Baku for Qarabag encounters in Azerbaijan.
League Format Now in its second year, the league format features each of the 36 teams playing eight varied opponents on a weighted schedule running through to January, housed within a single-standing table. Four newcomers to the Champions League’s primary stage are Bodo/Glimt, Kairat Almaty, Russian-sponsored Pafos, and Belgian champions Union Saint-Gilloise.
Bodo and Almaty’s games represent some of the furthest and potentially coldest commitments for visiting teams, who face Bodo's heated artificial turf. The draw, computer-generated, places teams into pools based on rankings accumulated over five past UEFA competition seasons.
Legendary figures Zlatan Ibrahimovic and former Ballon d'Or winner Kaka orchestrated team selections from each draw pot, deciding matchups at the touch of a button. Matches commence on September 16, with the league phase finale scheduled for January 28, featuring 36 teams across 18 simultaneous matches.
The leading eight teams following final standings will progress to the round of 16 in March, accompanied by the victors from eight knockout playoffs involving teams ranked ninth to 24th, unfolding in February. The remaining 12 teams face elimination.
Prize Money UEFA has earmarked a total of 2.47 billion euros ($2.88 billion) in rewards for these 36 clubs. Even Kairat, the lowest-ranked participant, is assured a minimum of 20 million euros ($23 million) from UEFA, while top-tier squads like Real Madrid and PSG will collect at least 60 million euros ($69 million). Additional earnings accrue through victories, draws, and advancing through knockout stages.
The ultimate title winner stands to secure around 150 million euros ($175 million) in prize money. (AP) AM AM AM
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