8 details about Champions League draw Celtic fans MUST know as all not as it seems inside multi million revamp

It's a huge week for Celtic fans as they prepare themselves for a frantic finish to transfer deadline week followed by the first derby showdown of the season against Rangers at Parkhead on Sunday.

But before those two events is arguably the biggest of the lot - the Champions League group stage draw. Brendan Rodgers secured the Hoops' place in UEFA's revamped premier tournament and supporters will be like kids on Christmas Eve as they wait to discover which European giants will be unwrapped alongside them.

Rodgers has made making an impact in Europe his priority since returning for a second spell in charge in the east end of Glasgow and his chances of that will very much depend on who they are pulled out of the hat with. The tournament has undergone major changes and here Record Sport boils it down for Celtic fans.

Let's start with the most important bit. The draw for the league phase of the 2024-25 Champions League will take place at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco on Thursday, August 29, 2024 with a 5pm start time.

Let's try and keep what is going to be a complicated draw as simple as possible. First of all, the format we have been used to in recent years is eight groups of four to make 32 teams. The number of competing clubs has increased to 36 but they will all go into one single league. Each team will play The teams will play eight fixtures but WON'T play their opponents home and away. Instead, they will play eight different teams - half at home and half away.

It will still be three points for a win and one point for a draw. In terms of reaching the knockouts, the top eight sides in the league will qualify automatically for the round of 16. The next 16 teams (9th to 24 in the table) will compete in a two-legged