EXPLAINER – How the Champions League’s 36-team league phase works

• Europe’s top club competition enters third season under expanded format that replaced traditional group stage
• All clubs compete in one table, but each team faces only eight opponents before knockout places are decided
• Top eight advance directly to Round of 16, while teams ranked ninth to 24th enter playoff round

The UEFA Champions League returns this week with its 36-team league phase, the expanded format that has reshaped Europe’s top club competition by replacing the traditional four-team group stage with one large standings table.

The league phase, now in its third season, begins on Sept. 8 and runs until Jan. 27, when all remaining final-round fixtures will be played simultaneously.

Under the format, each club plays eight matches against eight different opponents – four at home and four away. Teams receive three points for a win and one for a draw, as in a domestic league, but they do not play every other team in the table.

That makes the system a hybrid: one overall league table, but with different fixtures for every club.

The change was introduced to increase the number of high-profile matches, reduce the number of low-stakes group-stage games and keep more clubs involved in the qualification race deeper into the winter.

How does qualification work?

The final league table determines every club’s path.

Teams finishing first to eighth qualify directly for the Round of 16. Clubs ranked ninth to 24th enter a two-legged knockout phase playoff, with the winners advancing to the last 16.

Those finishing from 25th to 36th are eliminated from European competition altogether.

Unlike the old format, there is no drop into the UEFA Europa League for clubs knocked out after the Champions League league phase.

The playoff round also creates an important advantage for clubs finishing higher in the table. Teams placed ninth to 16th are seeded and, in principle, play the second leg at home against teams placed 17th to 24th.

What changes tactically?

The old group stage allowed clubs to measure themselves directly against three opponents. Head-to-head results often shaped qualification, and the same teams met home and away.

The league phase removes that rhythm, as there is no fixed mini-group, no return fixture against the same opponent and no direct rival whose results can be tracked in isolation.

That changes the calculation for coaches.

A draw away to a major contender can be valuable, but smaller clubs may have to be more aggressive in home matches against teams closer to their level.

Goal difference also matters more because many clubs can finish level on points.

Heavy defeats against Europe’s strongest sides can damage a campaign even if a team later recovers with wins elsewhere.

Squad depth is another factor. The league phase stretches from September to January, crossing domestic league fixtures, cup matches and international breaks. Clubs competing on several fronts must manage injuries, rotation and travel while maintaining European results.

Turkish clubs’ route

Galatasaray and Fenerbahce enter the league phase with demanding schedules that combine marquee home fixtures with difficult away trips across Europe.

Galatasaray face Sporting CP, Barcelona, Lille, Stuttgart, Aston Villa, AEK Athens, Feyenoord and current champions Paris Saint-Germain. Their campaign begins on Sept. 9 with a trip to Lisbon to face Sporting CP, before Barcelona visit Istanbul on Oct. 13. The Turkish champions then travel to France to meet Lille on Oct. 21.

November gives Galatasaray two home matches, against Stuttgart on Nov. 3 and Aston Villa on Nov. 24. They then travel to Athens to face AEK on Dec. 8, host Feyenoord on Jan. 19, and close the league phase on Jan. 27 away to PSG.

Fenerbahce will face Roma, Aston Villa, Slavia Prague, Liverpool, Shakhtar Donetsk, LASK, Villarreal and Atletico Madrid.

The Yellow Canaries open at home against Roma on Sept. 10 before traveling to England to face Aston Villa on Oct. 14. Slavia Prague visit Istanbul on Oct. 20, followed by another major home fixture against Liverpool on Nov. 4.

Fenerbahce then face two away matches, against Shakhtar Donetsk in London on Nov. 25 and LASK in Austria on Dec. 9. They return home to host Villarreal on Jan. 20 before ending the league phase away to Atletico Madrid on Jan. 27.