Champions League: Season 72

Europe's premier club competition promises another fierce contest in its 72nd season. With 29 teams qualifying directly and 52 others competing for the remaining seven places in qualifying rounds since July, the 36 clubs taking part in the league phase have now been confirmed, along with their fixtures.

After 144 matches across eight matchweeks, the top eight on points and goal difference will advance directly to the last 16. The 16 teams finishing ninth to 24th will contest an additional knockout round for the remaining places.

This will be the third season of the new format, with Paris Saint-Germain having won the first two editions. This campaign could prove more difficult for the French club, who have sold several attacking players over the summer, most recently sending Bradley Barcola to Liverpool for €125 million.

Luis Enrique's side failed to win any of their opening three Ligue 1 matches and face one of the toughest league-phase schedules. They begin at home to Slovan Bratislava and finish by hosting Galatasaray, with Manchester City, Barcelona, Roma, Villarreal, Aston Villa and Como providing formidable opposition in between.

Despite that demanding schedule, Ousmane Dembélé's strained relationship with Luis Enrique and Désiré Doué's poor start to the season, PSG are still regarded as one of the competition's five leading favourites, alongside Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Arsenal and Real Madrid.

To maintain that standing, PSG cannot afford to lose any more strength. That includes continuing to resist offers from the Arabian Peninsula for Achraf Hakimi, perhaps the best right-back in the world.

Madrid Hosts the Final

Following the qualifying rounds that began in July, the Champions League league phase starts on 8 September. The season will conclude on Saturday evening, 5 June, with the final at Atlético Madrid's Metropolitano.

No club has reached more finals without winning the competition than Atlético, who have lost on all three appearances. The prospect of playing a final at their own stadium could give them much greater hope of finally lifting the trophy.

Yet the Julián Álvarez issue remains unresolved. Diego Simeone's side have also dropped five points in their opening four La Liga matches.

Atlético's current difficulties have further fuelled the title ambitions of city rivals Real Madrid and their great Catalan rivals, Barcelona.

Champions League Tickets

Having ended their 22-season wait for a Premier League title, Arsenal are even more determined to realise their Champions League ambitions this season. Their previous two campaigns ended in the semi-finals and the final respectively.

With their domestic title curse lifted, the Gunners are also the strongest favourites to win the Premier League this season. They could once again go further than any other English side in Europe, as they have in each of the past two campaigns. Becoming European champions for the first time in their history is not such a remote possibility.

Liverpool's signing of Barcola signals that they, too, intend to contend again. Manchester City, meanwhile, stand out as natural contenders simply by having a goalscorer of Erling Haaland's calibre.

Bayern Munich have ended any meaningful competition in the Bundesliga and want to return to the summit of European football for the first time since 2020. Yet Vincent Kompany's high-risk attacking football can cause them problems in the later rounds.

Harry Kane, one of the best players on the planet, is another year older, while Jamal Musiala's fainting episodes in two consecutive matches suggest this could be a somewhat difficult season for Bayern. There is also interest in how Moroccan forward Ismael Saibari performs in the Champions League after his impressive World Cup displays.

Inter disappointed their supporters by losing to Bodø/Glimt last season, but made amends by winning Serie A. In 2010, a legendary Inter side under José Mourinho became the most recent Italian team to conquer Europe. Seventeen years on, the Nerazzurri want to experience that joy again.

Of the three clubs to have brought the European Cup to Italy, Inter are the only ones taking part in this season's Champions League. Roma, Napoli and Como will also look to represent Italian football with distinction.

With formidable teams and some of the finest footballers on the planet, another season of compelling European football awaits. Fans looking to follow the action in person can find Champions League tickets on Seatpin throughout the season.