Manchester United have made a high‑profile return to the UEFA Champions League, stepping back onto the pitch at Old Trafford on Thursday to face Sabah in a match that marks the end of a three‑year absence from the competition’s elite tier.
The opening week of the 2024‑25 season is being staged across three nights, a scheduling innovation introduced by UEFA earlier this year that allocates dedicated matchdays to each of its three flagship competitions, aiming to boost global viewership and give each tournament its own spotlight.
A Revamped Competition Structure
Under the new league‑phase format, eight rounds see the 36 clubs drawn according to a seeding system that prevents intra‑country matchups and limits each team to a maximum of two games against any single association. The top eight teams advance directly to the round of 16, while clubs placed ninth through twenty‑fourth enter a playoff round to contest the remaining eight spots, and those ranked twenty‑fifth to thirty‑sixth are eliminated outright.
On the opening Thursday, the only Premier League representatives in action are Liverpool and Arsenal, while the broader slate of fixtures includes high‑profile clashes such as Como versus RB Leipzig, Bayern Munich taking on Bodo/Glimt, and a host of other encounters ranging from Slavia Prague versus Lens to PSV’s showdown with Shakhtar Donetsk.
The Europa League kicked off on Wednesday and Thursday, September 16‑17, with early ties involving Sunderland, Bournemouth, AZ Alkmaar and Real Sociedad, whereas the Conference League will not begin its inaugural matchweek until October 15, a delay forced by the September international break.
Early signs of disruption have already emerged: Manchester City suffered a 6‑3 aggregate defeat to Real Madrid in the last‑32 playoff round, Juventus were knocked out by PSV, and Inter Milan fell to Bodo/Glimt in the same stage, underscoring the heightened unpredictability of the revamped competition.