The 2024–25 UEFA Youth League UEFA Champions League Path (league phase) will begin 17 September and end on 11 December 2024. A total of 36 teams will compete in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League Path to decide 22 of the 36 places in the knockout phase of the 2024–25 UEFA Youth League.[1]
Format
Each team will play six matches, three at home and three away, against six different opponents, with all 36 teams ranked in a single league table. The top 22 ranked teams will qualify for the round of 32 of the knockout stage, where they will be joined by ten winners of the Domestic Champions Path. Teams ranked from 23rd to 36th are eliminated from the competition.
Tiebreakers
Teams will be ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss). If two or more teams are equal on points upon completion of the league phase, the following tiebreaking criteria are applied, in the order given, to determine their rankings:[2]
Goal difference;
Goals scored;
Away goals scored;
Wins;
Away wins;
Higher number of points obtained collectively by league phase opponents;
Superior collective goal difference of league phase opponents;
Higher number of goals scored collectively by league phase opponents;
Lower disciplinary points total (direct red card = 3 points, yellow card = 1 point, expulsion for two yellow cards in one match = 3 points);
The schedule is identical to the first six matchdays of the UEFA Champions League league phase, the fixture list for which was announced on 31 August 2024.[3]
In principle, the matches will be played on the same day as the corresponding matches in the Champions League, unless the clubs and UEFA agree otherwise.[4] The matches will be played on 17–19 September, 1–2 October, 22–23 October, 5–6 November, 26–27 November and 10–11 December 2024.[1]
Times are CET or CEST,[note 1] (local times, if different, are in parentheses).
Manchester City
Bayern Munich
Real Madrid
Paris Saint-Germain
Inter Milan
Benfica
Club Brugge
Shakhtar Donetsk
Feyenoord
Dinamo Zagreb
Red Bull Salzburg
Red Star Belgrade
Young Boys
Celtic
Slovan Bratislava
Sparta Prague