The format for this season’s Champions League is changing, with a 36-team league stage replacing the group stage. Under this new format, there will be four more teams competing than before. Previously, it was 32 teams competing in eight groups of four.
Each team will play matches against eight different teams, four at home and four away. The eight opponents will be drawn from among the competing teams, after they are sorted into four seeding pots, with each team playing two opponents from each of these pots.
The idea is that clubs will play a wider range of opponents, and that this format will provide fewer dead rubbers.