Champions League 2024/25 field complete ahead of landmark draw
European football will embark on a new era when the revamped Champions League draw is made on Thursday afternoon.
The last four participants for this upcoming historic gathering were finalised this evening when Dinamo Zagreb, Crvena zvezda, Lille, and Slovan Bratislava secured passage from the playoff round.
Croatian giants Dinamo Zagreb had no trouble against Azerbaijani champions Qarabag, brushing them aside 3-0 at home before running out 2-0 winners on the road. The same could not be said for the other three contests.
Bodø/Glimt and Lille came into tonight’s fixtures with a slender advantage, having won their respective games in their backyard last time out. At the same time, Slovan Bratislava and Midtjylland were locked in a 1-1 stalemate after the opening leg.
Crvena zvezda — winners of the European Cup in 1991 — managed to turn a one-goal deficit around, with Bruno Duarte and skipper Uros Spajic netting in their 2-0 success. It was a blow to Kjetil Knutsen’s side, who were looking to create their own piece of history by qualifying for the Champions League proper for the very first time.
Lille, meanwhile, survived a scare in Prague. The former Ligue 1 champions had come into this return leg with a 2-0 aggregate lead, so a 2-1 loss was enough to see them sneak through by the skin of their teeth. Edon Zhegrova netted the all-important goal for Bruno Génésio’s team.
The genuinely fascinating match was taking place 329 kilometres away in neighbouring Bratislava, where Štadión Tehelné pole attendees were treated to a five-goal thriller that their side was on the right end of. Marko Tolic netted a brace, while Tigran Barseghyan struck the decisive blow to a Midtjylland side looking to make their Champions League return after a four-year absence.
Qarabağ, Midtjylland, Bodø/Glimt, and Slavia Prague will be transferred to the Europa League league phase, joining Galatasaray, Malmö FF, and Dynamo Kyiv.
29.8.24
The dawn of a new era ✨ #UCLdraw | #UCL pic.twitter.com/CkAL4ZyoNm
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) August 28, 2024
They join 32 other teams who await their fate in arguably the most seismic change to UEFA’s premier club competition in over two decades.
The traditional group stage has been replaced by a single league phase featuring all 36 participating teams. In this new format, each club will play a minimum of eight matches, each against a different opponent, with four games at home and four away.
The top eight teams from the league stage will automatically advance to the knockout stages. Teams finishing between ninth and twenty-fourth place will enter a two-legged play-off to secure a spot in the last 16. This new structure ensures more competitive and varied matchups, with every point crucial in the battle for progression.
If we break those clubs down, 16 countries are represented (Spain, England, Germany, France, Italy, Portugal, Belgium, Ukraine, the Netherlands, Croatia, Austria, Switzerland, Scotland, the Czech Republic, Serbia and Slovakia).
Serie A and the Bundesliga each have five teams. Sparta Prague, Celtic, Young Boys, Dinamo Zagreb, Shakhtar Donetsk, Club Brugge, Crvena zvezda and Slovan Bratislava are their nations’ sole representatives.
Aston Villa, Bologna, Brest, and Girona will make their debut appearances since the introduction of the group stage. Brest and Girona will also make their debut appearances in European football. Villa are among 14 former European Cup holders, with 15-time winners Real Madrid as the defending champions.
