Arsenal are set to kick off their Champions League campaign this week, but fans may be surprised to see the match scheduled for Thursday, a day typically reserved for the Europa League.
The Gunners are facing Europa League winners Atalanta away, which is an unusual Thursday fixture for the Champions League, traditionally played on Tuesday or Wednesday. This scheduling could be problematic for Arsenal, as they are set to face Manchester City on Sunday, giving City an extra 24 hours to recover from their Wednesday match. However, there is a clear reason for the change.
UEFA has introduced a new league structure, which designates unique matchweeks for each of its three competitions, ensuring no overlap. This week has been labeled as Matchweek 1 for the Champions League, with games spread across three days instead of the usual two. As a result, some matches, like Arsenal’s, are being played on Thursday. However, this is a one-time occurrence and won’t be repeated throughout the season. The Europa League and Europa Conference League will also have their own exclusive matchweeks.
In addition to this scheduling change, the Champions League format has been revamped. Teams will now play eight group-stage matches, each against a different opponent, with no traditional group structure. Instead, all teams are part of a single league table, with the top eight automatically advancing to the round of 16. Teams finishing between ninth and 24th will enter a knockout phase for a chance to progress further. Meanwhile, teams ranked 25th or lower will be eliminated without dropping into lower-tier tournaments.
Arsenal’s trip to Bergamo is part of an exciting matchweek, with other English teams like Aston Villa, Liverpool, and Manchester City also in action. All 500 Champions League games this season will be broadcasted on TNT Sports.
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