EU Football Tournament of Top Clubs: Champion's League - Bayern Munich commences their journey with a home match, while VfB confronts Real at their stadium.
Bayern Munich leads the charge as the sole Bundesliga heavyweight hosting at home in the redesigned Champions League. They welcome Dinamo Zagreb to the Allianz Arena on September 17 (9:00 PM EDT), marking the opening fixture, as announced by UEFA post the draw.
Meanwhile, the other German squads in the Champions League kick off with away games. VfB Stuttgart confronts a challenging start against Real Madrid, who still haven't tasted defeat with their excellent striker Kylian Mbappé, simultaneously with Bayern.
Additional away assignments
Borussia Dortmund journeys to Belgium to face Club Brugge on September 18 (9:00 PM EDT). The opening week concludes on September 19 with German titleholders Bayer Leverkusen visiting Feyenoord Rotterdam (3:45 PM EDT), and RB Leipzig playing at Atlético Madrid (9:00 PM EDT).
UEFA has made significant modifications to the Champions League structure. Instead of group stages, all 36 teams will compete in a single league. Each team will face eight opponents. The top eight teams will secure a direct spot in the knockout round of 16, while those placing 9th to 24th will battle it out in a novel knockout preliminary round for progression. The Champions League final will be staged in Munich on May 31, 2025.
Bayern Munich, as the Champions League group stage abolisher, will continue their journey in the revamped competition at home against Dinamo Zagreb on September 17. Despite other German teams starting with away games, Bayern Munich, being the Champions League hosts, will aim to maintain their dominance in their opening fixture.
