Real Madrid Embarks on a ‌New ⁢Era in the Champions League

The Spanish champion Real Madrid is set to face ‌a challenging​ test in the Champions League football competition, ⁤as they host the German league⁢ runner-up Stuttgart at the “San Siro” stadium on Tuesday. This encounter brings back memories of ⁤the heated clashes ​between Italian Milan and English guests ​Liverpool in the 2005 and ‌2007 ‍finals.

A New Format for the Continental Competition

The new season of the⁣ Champions League will witness a significant change, with the participation of 36 teams instead of 32. The ⁢competition will feature ⁤a single group format, where each‌ team will play ⁤8 matches against eight different ​teams, with 4 matches at home and 4 away.

Qualification Process

Prior ⁣to the draw,​ the clubs were ⁤divided into 4 tiers, each with nine teams. The top eight teams in the final position will qualify ⁣for the round of 16, while the next 16 ‍teams will‌ advance ​to the play-off ‍round.⁢ The remaining ⁤teams will exit‍ the competition⁢ and move to the Europa League.

Notable Matches and ⁢Returns

Italian giants Juventus return to the competition after missing out on last season’s edition.⁢ They will begin their campaign at home on Tuesday. Meanwhile,⁣ German giants Bayern Munich will travel to Croatia to face Dinamo Zagreb, looking to continue their ideal start to the season.

Aston Villa will make​ their first appearance⁣ in the⁤ competition since the 1982-1983 season, when ⁤they lost​ to Juventus in the quarter-finals. They will face Swiss Young‍ Boys‍ in their opening match. Lille ‍will play away⁢ to Sporting Portugal.