AS Monaco, making its first Champions League appearance since the 2018-2019 season, faces a challenging path in the newly formatted tournament. Drawn against formidable opponents such as Arsenal, Barcelona, and Inter Milan, the Monegasque team will host Barcelona and travel to London and Milan for the remaining fixtures against Arsenal and Inter respectively. This setup stems from the recent overhaul of the Champions League format, which now features a single league-style group of 36 teams, with each team playing eight matches.
Under the guidance of coach Adi Hütter, Monaco is set to compete in a rigorous schedule that also includes matches against Benfica, Red Star Belgrade, Aston Villa, Dinamo Zagreb, and Bologna. The revamped competition format eliminates the traditional eight groups, instead opting for a model where the top eight teams from the single league group will directly qualify for the last 16, intensifying the competition for those coveted spots.
The Champions League campaign for Monaco kicks off in mid-September, with the group phase running until January. The stakes are notably high in this season’s competition, as teams finishing between 9th and 24th place will enter play-offs to vie for a place in the knockout stages, while the bottom 12 teams will be eliminated from European competitions entirely. Monaco's quest for success in this elite tournament begins between September 17-19, marking a critical phase in their international football aspirations.
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