The Champions League is the pinnacle of club soccer. With unforgettable matches and epic comebacks, it is where Europe’s best clubs write their legends. The competition was launched in 1955 and is now a symbol of European success, along with the other two continental pillars – the World Cup and the Europa League.
After the group stage, the 32 remaining teams will compete in a series of knockout games to reach the final. In the first knockout round, a draw determines the pairings for each match — known as a leg – and the team that scores more goals over the course of two matches advances to the next round.
The second round, quarterfinals and semifinals will be played in the same format as before, with a traditional one-legged game. However, the new system will make the tournament more competitive for all of the participating teams, especially in the latter stages.
The top four teams in the group phase will qualify for the knockout stage playoffs automatically. This is a significant increase in the number of teams that can potentially advance to the semifinals, which will give all 36 clubs an equal chance to win the tournament. The other eight spots in the knockout phase are determined by a seeding and coefficients system. Teams from the same country are prohibited from playing each other in the quarterfinals and semifinals. UEFA’s seeding and coefficients system also helps ensure that the four top clubs play each other at least twice in the semifinals.