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Real Madrid are set to start their UEFA Champions League (UCL) 2024-25 season on Wednesday as they welcome VfB Stuttgart to the iconic Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid, as per Olympics.com.
The European giants, who boast a record 15 UCL titles, will begin this season without their star midfielder Tony Kroos, who retired last season. However, they have reinforced their squad with the marquee signings of French sensation Kylian Mbappe and Brazilian Endrick. This season marks the debut of the new UCL format. A total of 36 clubs from Europe's premier football leagues will compete in a league phase, which replaces the traditional group stage. Each team will play eight matches against eight different opponents, with an equal split of home and away fixtures. Every match's outcome will significantly impact the league table standings. The top eight teams will automatically advance to the UCL round of 16. Teams finishing between 9th and 24th place will enter a two-legged knockout play-off phase, with the winners securing the remaining eight spots in the round of 16. Teams finishing below 24th will be eliminated from the competition. In this new league phase, Real Madrid will face VfB Stuttgart, LOSC Lille, Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan, Liverpool, Atalanta, Salzburg, and Brest. Their away fixtures include matches against Lille, Liverpool, Atalanta, and Brest. A notable fixture is the home game against Borussia Dortmund on October 23, a rematch of the UCL 2023-24 final, where Real Madrid triumphed 2-0 to secure their 15th title, followed by another home fixture against AC Milan on November 6. Another highly anticipated match is the away game against Liverpool on November 28, rekindling a rivalry that saw Real Madrid victorious in the UCL finals of both 2017-18 and 2021-22. They will kick off their campaign against VfB Stuttgart at home on September 18. They will then travel to face LOSC Lille on October 3. A highly anticipated home match against Borussia Dortmund is scheduled for October 23. December 11 sees them away again, this time against Atalanta. They will host Salzburg on January 23 and conclude the league phase with an away match against Brest on January 30. According to Olympics.com, the knockout stages will be beginning in February. The grand final is set to be held on May 31 at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany. Alongside their Champions League campaign, Real Madrid will also compete in La Liga, the Supercopa de EspaNa, and the Copa del Rey, making for a packed and challenging season. (ANI)
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