Champions League: Real Madrid, Juventus and Borussia Dortmund in action as new format kicks off
Europe's biggest clubs are entering the battle for football's ultimate prize, and the matches are expected to be explosive.
Six games are scheduled for the opening day. Real Madrid, the most decorated team in the competition, will kick off their new season at home against Marseille. Players on both sides share the same objective: a winning start.
"The spirit of the Champions League is special for everyone, but especially for Real Madrid. We are starting a new adventure in this competition after a good start in La Liga. The players are desperate to progress. We'll have a tough opponent. We hope to start on the right foot," declared Xabi Alonso, Real Madrid coach.
"Of course, we always prefer to play at home, but coming to Madrid is a source of pride. That's because last season we only played in domestic competitions. We've reached the Champions League, and that's the fruit of our work from last season. I'm no magician and can't predict the future, but I hope everything goes well for us," said Roberto De Zerbi, Marseille coach.
Two former winners, Juventus and Borussia Dortmund, will face off in Italy, while Tottenham Hotspur will play at home against Villarreal.
Benfica will play against Qarabag from Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani team have travelled 6,000 kilometres to play their first match in the Champions League's new league format.
This is the second year in a row that Europe's most important inter-club competition is taking place with the new 36-team format. Just like last year, each team will play eight matches—four at home and four away. There are no longer groups, and the standings are based on a single table featuring all 36 teams that advanced to the competition after the preliminary rounds.
The top eight teams in the league standings will qualify directly for the last 16, while the teams ranked 9th to 24th will have to play an additional knockout round. Starting this season, the final rank in the main league is becoming much more important. UEFA has introduced a new rule.
The top eight teams will have home advantage in all knockout stages, which means they will play the second legs at home.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
