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Join us for the live draw of the 2024-25 Champions League, which for the first time is in a single group format with five Italian clubs, Inter, Milan, Juventus, Atalanta and Bologna.
The draw begins at 17.00 UK time (16.00 GMT) at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco.
Because there are 36 teams and the draw is so complex, it will not be done with the usual manual system, but mainly performed by a computer.
Each team plays eight different opponents in single-leg ties, each side playing four fixtures at home and four away, with the results tallied in a single league table.
The final calendar won’t be completed until Saturday.
“I chased Buffon down the corridor and threatened him, because he cannot come back to Bergamo after what he did to us,” joked Marino on Sky Sport Italia.
“Joking aside, I think tonight we are telling an important page in the history of Atalanta, because playing against Real Madrid, Barcelona, Arsenal, Celtic, Young Boys, Sturm Graz and Stuttgart is pretty unique. It’s marvellous, the pitch will tell us who does best, but as always we’ll aim to cause everyone problems.”
The top eight go directly into the next phase, while the mid-table sides will go into play-offs. Were the other clubs happy or upset at getting paired with Atalanta?
“I haven’t spoken to the other clubs yet. I only saw Liverpool, they told us they didn’t want to come back to Bergamo! We are playing fantastic teams with remarkable squads and atmospheres, we aim to learn from them on and off the field.”
It has been a difficult summer for Atalanta, who were pushed into selling Teun Koopmeiners to Juventus, while Ademola Lookman was also targeted by foreign clubs including PSG and Arsenal.
Will they feel more satisfied at proving how good La Dea are at finding talent and selling them on at a profit, or sad that players who grew so much in Bergamo were demanding to leave?
“It’s a good question. There is a little sadness, but we must look forward. The thing that counts the most is only Atalanta, our philosophy and values remain strong. We must focus on hard work, because we are still a small club against the most colossal clubs in Europe.”
“This is totally new for us, a wonderful moment we are experiencing with great emotion. There are eight very difficult games, but this is the biggest European tournament, so it is what we expected,” smiled Fenucci on Sky Sport Italia.
The visit to Anfield Road is the one that has most excited the Bologna supporters, especially as Atalanta won there in the Europa League last season.
They lost coach Thiago Motta, players Riccardo Calafiori and Joshua Zirkzee, but Vincenzo Italiano reached the last two editions of the Conference League Final with Fiorentina, plus the Coppa Italia Final.
The home fixtures are arguably winnable for this team, perhaps aside from Borussia Dortmund.
“On paper, the home games are ones where we could do well, but we know that on paper and on the field are often two very different things. We have a coach who is accustomed to dealing with European tournaments and the difficulties of three games per week.
“We have to take it one step at a time, just like last season, getting everyone involved, trying to get as many points as possible and expecting a wonderful journey in stadiums our fans have not seen for decades. We want to prove that we can do well, even in such an important competition as the Champions League.”
Bologna’s aim is to finish in the top 24 out of 36, which would get them into the play-offs.
“Last season we took it one game at a time and we will do the same this year, then see where we are at the end. It is not easy to predict points, especially at this level.”
“We are all curious to see how this goes, it is all new and very different,” Baresi told Sky Sport Italia.
“We have to take it one game at a time, knowing that every match will be important, just as goals scored will be. We must also be wary, as goal difference could prove fundamental, so playing at the Bernabeu or not can change something.”
Are they feeling oddly more confident in Europe with this draw?
“It’s difficult to say. Milan must think of winning both in Italy and abroad. It’s true that Milan have an important culture and philosophy based on doing well in Europe.
“Obviously, it helps to have players of an international level. We have to think of getting as many points as possible, because we don’t know what could happen. The big table means you have to compare yourself with everyone.”
Milan have had a dire start in Serie A under new coach Paulo Fonseca, drawing 2-2 with Torino and losing heavily away to Parma.
“We did not think that it would start this way. Milan have quality and the players to recover. We must not underestimate anyone, as every game has its dangers, so the spirit, attitude and determination must never be lacking.
“Now we hit the reset button after these two games and want to see our quality emerge.”
“The format is completely new and very fascinating. It’s a very different sense of adrenaline, we don’t know the fixture list yet, but the important thing is to be ready when it begins. We hope for a bit of luck with injuries and suspensions,” Marotta told Sky Sport Italia.
Inter won the Scudetto last season, having reached the Champions League Final the year before, so did they choose between the tournaments?
“This squad has grown a lot over the last few years, in Italy but above all in the Champions League. It’s true that the second star in Serie A represented an important achievement for the club, but we do not choose between the Scudetto and Champions League. We try to go all the way in both and hope circumstances are favourable for us.
“We have given Simone Inzaghi a competitive squad, but we don’t want to put anxiety onto Inter, just the right level of pressure for an important club like Inter.”
Would Marotta prefer Inter to start with Manchester City or Arsenal, or rather to have a softer beginning to the competition?
“I have noticed that the clubs with many international players have struggled to start with, so facing a bigger opponent early might be difficult, but the smaller sides have their own specific difficulties too. We must never underestimate the teams in Pot 3 or 4. The Champions League is very different to the regular league campaign.”
Inter were the only Italian club in Pot 1 of the draw, so are they to be considered among the favourites?
“The media put us among the favourites! We do not hide ourselves, we always said that our objective was to finish in the top eight of the table. Inzaghi might not agree with me, but what might seem like dreams at the start are more than that.
“We must not mistake arrogance or presumptuousness for ambition. It is important to have ambition and the desire to honour our history. We will give our best, if the others do better, we tip our hats to them and try to analyse what happened,” concluded Marotta.
“These are fascinating games, it will be a tight group to the end and we have to play at the highest level,” Pessotto told Sky Sport Italia.
“We have Manchester City at home, but a lot of big away games. We get the feeling it will be a tight table, so details could be decisive, like goals scored and goal difference. We will be ready.”
The Bianconeri started the new Serie A season with back-to-back victories over Como and Hellas Verona, both with 3-0 scorelines.
However, the majority of the summer signings have not yet featured, meaning the big changes came from coach Thiago Motta.
“Some players arrived during the season, so it takes time for them to settle into the team and get the philosophy of the club. We started well, we’re happy, we had two good results, but the season is long,” continued Pessotto.
“What we declared from the start is the importance of the whole squad, as in such a long and complicated campaign, everyone will be crucial. We also saw young players from our academy making their debuts in the senior squad and contributing not just performances, but goals too.
“It is going to be a long season, but the squad is well-built and everyone will be ready to give their contribution.”
These fixtures are not in order yet, so the actual calendar will be drawn up on Saturday August 31.
All the results go into one big league table and the top eight go through directly to the next phase, while mid-table enter the play-offs.
Real Madrid: Borussia Dortmund H, Liverpool A, Milan H, Atalanta A, RB Salzburg H, Lille A, Stuttgart H, Brest A
Manchester City: Inter H, PSG A, Club Brugge H, Juventus A, Feyenoord H, Sporting CP A, Sparta P
Bayern Munich: PSG H, Barcelona A, Benfica H, Shakhtar Donetsk A, Dinamo Zagreb H, Feyenoord A, Slovan Bratislava H, Aston Villa A
PSG: Manchester City H, Bayern Munich A, Atletico Madrid H, Arsenal A, PSV Eindhoven H, RB Salzburg A, Girona H, Stuttgart A
Liverpool: Real Madrid H, RB Leipzig A, Bayer Leverkusen H, Milan A, Lille H, PSV Eindhoven A, Bologna H, Girona A
Inter: RB Leipzig H, Manchester City A, Arsenal H, Bayer Leverkusen A, Crvena Zvezda H, Young Boys A, Monaco H, Sparta Prague A.
Borussia Dortmund: Barcelona H, Real Madrid A, Shakhtar Donetsk H, Club Brugge A, Celtic H, Dinamo Zagreb A, Sturm Graz H, Bologna A
RB Leipzig: Liverpool H, Inter A, Juventus H, Atletico Madrid A, Sporting CP H, Celtic A, Aston Villa H, Sturm Graz A
Barcelona: Bayern Munich H, Borussia Dortmund A, Atalanta H, Benfica A, Young Boys H, Crvena Zvezda A, Brest H, Monaco A
Bayer Leverkusen: Inter H, Liverpool A, Atletico Madrid A, Milan H, RB Salzburg H, Feyenoord A, Sparta Prague H, Brest A
Atletico Madrid: RB Leipzig H, PSG A, Bayer Leverkusen H, Benfica A, Lille H, RB Salzburg A, Slovan Bratislava H, Sparta Prague A
Atalanta: Real Madrid H, Barcelona A, Arsenal H, Shakhtar Donetsk A, Celtic H, Young Boys A, Sturm Graz H, Stuttgart A
Juventus: Manchester City H, RB Leipzig A, Benfica H, Club Brugge A, PSV Eindhoven H, Lille A, Stuttgart H, Aston Villa A
Benfica: Barcelona H, Bayern Munich A, Atletico Madrid H, Juventus A, Feyenoord H, Crvena Zvezda A, Bologna H, Monaco A
Arsenal: PSG H, Inter A, Shakhtar Donetsk H, Atalanta A, Dinamo H, Sporting A, Monaco H, Girona A
Club Brugge: Borussia Dortmund H, Manchester City A, Juventus H, Milan A, Sporting H, Celtic A, Aston Villa H, Sturm Graz A
Shakhtar Donetsk: Bayern Munich H, Borussia Dortmund A, Atalanta H, Arsenal A, Young Boys H, PSV Eindhoven A, Brest H, Bologna A
Milan: Liverpool H, Real Madrid A, Club Brugge H, Bayer Leverkusen A, Crvena Zvezda H, GNK Dinamo A, Girona H, Slovan Bratislava A
Feyenoord: Bayern Munich H, Manchester City A, Bayer Leverkusen H, Benfica A, RB Salzburg H, Lille A, Sparta Prague H, Girona A
Sporting CP: Manchester City H, RB Leipzig A, Arsenal H, Club Brugge A, Lille H, PSV Eindhoven A, Bologna H, Sturm Graz A
PSV Eindhoven: Liverpool H, PSG A, Shakhtar Donetsk H, Juventus A, Sporting H, Crvena Zvezda A, Girona H, Brest A
GNK Dinamo: Borussia Dortmund H, Bayern Munich A, Milan H, Arsenal A, Celtic H, RB Salzburg A, Monaco H, Slovan Bratislava A
RB Salzburg: PSG H, Real Madrid A, Atletico Madrid H, Bayer Leverkusen A, GNK Dinamo H, Feyenoord A, Brest H, Sparta Prague A
Lille: Real Madrid H, Liverpool A, Juventus H, Atletico Madrid A, Feyenoord H, Sporting A, Sturm Graz H, Bologna A
Crvena Zvezda: Barcelona H, Inter A, Benfica H, Milan A, PSV Eindhoven H, Borussia Dortmund H, Stuttgart H, Monaco A
Young Boys: Inter H, Barcelona A, Atalanta H, Shakhtar Donetsk A, Crvena Zvezda H, Celtic A, Aston Villa H, Stuttgart A
Celtic: RB Leipzig H, Borussia Dortmund A, Club Brugge H, Atalanta A, Young Boys H, GNK Dinamo A, Slovan Bratislava H, Aston Villa A
Slovan Bratislava: Manchester City H, Bayern Munich A, Milan H, Atletico Madrid A, GNK Dinamo H, Celtic A, Stuttgart H, Girona A
Monaco: Barcelona H, Inter A, Benfica H, Arsenal A, Crvena Zvezda H, GNK Dinamo A, Aston Villa H, Bologna A
Sparta Prague: Inter H, Manchester City A, Atletico Madrid H, Bayer Leverkusen A, RB Salzburg H, Feyenoord A, Brest H, Stuttgart A
Aston Villa: Bayern Munich H, RB Leipzig A, Juventus H, Club Brugge A, Celtic H, Young Boys A, Bologna H, Monaco A
Bologna: Borussia Dortmund H, Liverpool A, Shakhtar Donetsk H, Benfica A, Lille H, Sporting CP A, Monaco H, Aston Villa A
Girona: Liverpool H, PSG A, Arsenal H, Milan A, Feyenoord H, PSV A, Slovan Bratislava H, Sturm Graz A
Stuttgart: PSG H, Real Madrid A, Atalanta H, Juventus A, Young Boys H, Crvena Zvezda A, Sparta Prague H, Slovan Bratislava A
Sturm Graz: RB Leipzig H, Borussia Dortmund A, Club Brugge H, Atalanta A, Sporting H, Lille A, Girona H, Brest A
Brest: Real Madrid H, Barcelona A, Bayer Leverkusen H, Shakhtar Donetsk A, PSV Eindhoven H, RB Salzburg A, Sturm Graz H, Sparta Prague A
RB Leipzig H, Manchester City A, Arsenal H, Bayer Leverkusen A, Crvena Zvezda H, Young Boys A, Monaco H, Sparta Prague A
Manchester City H, RB Leipzig A, Benfica H, Club Brugge A, PSV Eindhoven H, Lille A, Stuttgart H, Aston Villa A
Liverpool H, Real Madrid A, Club Brugge H, Bayer Leverkusen A, Crvena Zvezda H, GNK Dinamo A, Girona H, Slovan Bratislava A
Real Madrid H, Barcelona A, Arsenal H, Shakhtar Donetsk A, Celtic H, Young Boys A, Sturm Graz H, Stuttgart A
Borussia Dortmund H, Liverpool A, Shakhtar Donetsk H, Benfica A, Lille H, Sporting CP A, Monaco H, Aston Villa A
Borussia Dortmund H, Liverpool A, Shakhtar Donetsk H, Benfica A, Lille H, Sporting CP A, Monaco H, Aston Villa A
RB Leipzig H, Borussia Dortmund A, Club Brugge H, Atalanta A, Young Boys H, GNK Dinamo A, Slovan Bratislava H, Aston Villa A
PSG H, Real Madrid A, Atletico Madrid H, Bayer Leverkusen A, GNK Dinamo H, Feyenoord A, Brest H, Sparta Prague A
Borussia Dortmund H, Bayern Munich A, Milan H, Arsenal A, Celtic H, RB Salzburg A, Monaco H, Slovan Bratislava A
Liverpool H, PSG A, Shakhtar Donetsk H, Juventus A, Sporting H, Crvena Zvezda A, Girona H, Brest A
RB Leipzig H, Manchester City A, Arsenal H, Bayer Leverkusen A, Crvena Zvezda H, Young Boys A, Monaco H, Sparta Prague A
Manchester City H, RB Leipzig A, Benfica H, Club Brugge A, PSV Eindhoven H, Lille A, Stuttgart H, Aston Villa A
Liverpool H, Real Madrid A, Club Brugge H, Bayer Leverkusen A, Crvena Zvezda H, GNK Dinamo A, Girona H, Slovan Bratislava A
Real Madrid H, Barcelona A, Arsenal H, Shakhtar Donetsk A, Celtic H, Young Boys A, Sturm Graz H, Stuttgart A
Manchester City H, RB Leipzig A, Benfica H, Club Brugge A, PSV Eindhoven H, Lille A, Stuttgart H, Aston Villa A
Liverpool H, Real Madrid A, Club Brugge H, Bayer Leverkusen A, Crvena Zvezda H, GNK Dinamo A, Girona H, Slovan Bratislava A
Real Madrid H, Barcelona A, Arsenal H, Shakhtar Donetsk A, Celtic H, Young Boys A, Sturm Graz H, Stuttgart A
RB Leipzig H, PSG A, Bayer Leverkusen H, Benfica A, Lille H, RB Salzburg A, Slovan Bratislava H, Sparta Prague A