Real Madrid UEFA Champions League fixtures: Full schedule of games in league phase 2024/25

Defending champions Real Madrid have been matched with Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund in the first phase of 2024/25 UEFA Champions League.

Carlo Ancelotti's side stormed to the title last season, as part of a La Liga trophy double, with victory over Borussia Dortmund in the final.

Los Blancos are the most successful club in Champions League history, with nine title wins, and 15 overall including its predecessor the UEFA European Cup.

Ancelotti will be looking for his sixth title as a manager in 2025, as part of UEFA's new and expanded tournament. To do so, Real Madrid must qualify from the league phase, which replaces the more traditional group stage from this season onwards.

Here is how their Champions League schedule looks.

BUY TICKETS: Compare lowest prices available for Champions League fixtures

Real Madrid Champions League 2024/25 opponents

• Borussia Dortmund
• Liverpool
• AC Milan
• Atalanta 
• RB Salzburg
• Lille
• Stuttgart
• Brest

Real Madrid Champions League fixtures: Schedule of games in league phase 2024/25

Real Madrid begin their trophy defence at home to Stuttgart and wrap up the league phase with a trip to competition newcomers Brest.

• Stuttgart (H): Tuesday, September 17
• Lille (A): Wednesday, October 2
• Borussia Dortmund (H): Tuesday, October 22
• AC Milan (H): Tuesday, November 5
• Liverpool (A): Wednesday, November 27
• Atalanta (A): Tuesday, December 10
• RB Salzburg (H): Wednesday, January 22
• Brest (A): Wednesday, January 29

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How to buy Champions League tickets 2024/25.

Once dates and times for Champions League fixtures are confirmed, the ticket process will begin. Other than the final itself, tickets cannot be purchased from UEFA directly for European matches.

Instead, the primary ticket sales are conducted by the participating clubs themselves so that fans can access them seamlessly just as they would other matches.

Once the tickets are distributed, fans can still get tickets on secondary market, with StubHub International as the best place to find tickets to Champions League games.

2024/25 UEFA Champions League format explained

The main difference for this season's Champions League is the group stage has been replaced with a new 'league phase', as the number of teams competing increases from 32 to 36.

Previously, 32 teams qualified for the initial phase of the tournament. They were then drawn into eight groups of four, with seedings used to help determine which teams were placed where. This was the 'group stage'.

From 2024/25 onwards, the first phase of the competition sees all 36 teams placed into a league format. Each team will face eight others (four at home, four away), earning three points for a win and one for a draw in their matches.

Teams finishing in the top eight of the league phase will qualify for the Round of 16 stage automatically, with those placed from 9th to 24th facing a playoff to reach the knockout phase and complete the field for the first elimination round.

The competition then follows its more traditional knockout-stage format (i.e. two-legged ties between two teams, with the winner advancing to the next round) all the way to the final.

How to watch Champions League around the world

Here's how to watch UEFA Champions League matches across selected areas of the world's major regions: