Group A: Man City, PSG, RB Leipzig, Club Brugge
Group B: At. Madrid, Liverpool. Porto, AC Milan
Group C: Sporting CP, Borussia Dortmund, Ajax, Besiktas
Group D: Inter, Real Madrid, Shakhtar, FC Sheriff
Group E: Bayern, Barcelona, Benfica, Dynamo Kyiv
Group F: Villarreal, Man United, Atalanta, Young Boys
Group G: Lille, Sevilla, Salzburg, Wolfsburg
Group H: Chelsea, Juventus, Zenit, Malmo
- 2021/22 UEFA UCL match, draws calendar released
- Wenger kicks against changes in Champions League format
- Arsenal suffers 2-0 loss by Brentford as Premier League starts
Away goals no longer count as double
Under the old rule, in the event of a draw, goals scored away from home counted as double but that led to a tendency for home sides to focus on avoiding conceding and, it was argued, gave the visiting team in the second leg an unfair advantage if the tie went to extra-time. From 2021/22, ties which end level after the second leg will go to extra-time then a penalty shoot-out if required, irrespective of the number of away goals a team has scored.
UEFA explained in a statement. “With the decision to remove this rule, ties in which the two teams score the same number of goals over the two legs would be not decided on the number of goals scored away, but two 15-minute periods of extra time are played at the end of the second leg and in case the teams score the same number of goals or no goals during this extra time, kicks from the penalty mark would determine the team which qualifies to the next stage of the competition”.
Champions League 2021/22 key dates
The group stage will commence on September with all 32 sides setting their sights on the 28 May (2022) final that will be staged in Saint Petersburg (Russia).
The draw for the Round of 16 will be staged on 13 December with the competition resuming on February 15.
The semi-finals will be staged on 26/27 April with the return legs on 3/4 May.
2021/22 UEFA Champions League draw dates:
13 December 2021: Round of 16
18 March 2022: Quarter-finals & Semi-finals
Where will the 2022 UCL final take place?
The final will take place at the Saint Petersburg Stadium. The distinct venue on Krestovsky Island was designed by Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa, whose vision was for a spaceship that had landed on the shores of the Gulf of Finland. It has been home to Zenit since 2017.
2021/22 UEFA Champions League key dates
Group stage
14/15 September 2021: Matchday 1
28/29 September 2021: Matchday 2
19/20 October 2021: Matchday 3
2/3 November 2021: Matchday 4
23/24 November 2021: Matchday 5
7/8 December 2021: Matchday 6
Knockout phase
15/16/22/23 February & 8/9/15/16 March 2022: Round of 16
5/6 & 12/13 April 2022: Quarter-finals
26/27 & 3/4 May 2022: Semi-finals
28 May 2022: Final [Soccer]
