A palpable sense of anticipation always accompanies the return of European club football, and this year represents the second iteration of its revised format, where participating teams engage in a league-based preliminary stage rather than the more traditional group stage approach.
Within the Champions League context, the 36 competing clubs will each encounter eight distinct opponents – playing four matches on their home ground and four matches away. The top eight clubs in the league standings will automatically qualify for the round of 16, while those positioned from 9th through 24th will participate in a play-off round to secure their advancement.
As with virtually any modification to the structure of football, discussions have ensued concerning the comparative merits of this renewed format relative to its predecessor, as well as its potential impact on team strategies and approaches to the competition.
One notable outcome is an increase in the number of high-caliber matches occurring early in the tournament, offering captivating viewing opportunities for enthusiasts. This year’s schedule features matchups such as Bayern Munich versus Chelsea during the opening week, Barcelona hosting PSG in the second set of matches, Liverpool welcoming Real Madrid to Anfield, and Manchester City traveling to the Bernabeu in December. Prominent clubs and their star players are prominently featured throughout the competition.
The increased number of competitors and matches introduces elements of unpredictability and chance. The previous year’s champions, PSG, began their campaign with three losses in their first five matches, ultimately finishing outside the top eight, while Manchester City ranked 22nd. The concluding matches of the league phase are conducted simultaneously, creating a climactic atmosphere on the final day with 18 matches occurring concurrently. In the preceding season, only two teams had secured their place in the top eight prior to this matchday, with nine additional teams contending for the play-off round, thereby injecting a degree of uncertainty into nearly all of the ties.
However, the significance of this uncertainty is contingent upon whether the expected teams ultimately secure spots in the last 16, and whether finishing in the top eight has any tangible impact. Regarding the latter, opinions remain divided, as expressed by Arne Slot.
Prior to Liverpool’s inaugural match of this season against Atletico Madrid, we engaged in a discussion with their manager on TNT Sports, who provided his characteristically candid and articulate insights.
In the preceding year, Liverpool achieved the highest rank in the league phase, securing victories in seven of their eight matches. Slot revealed that he had extensively contemplated the team’s strategy for the current year and questioned whether employing his strongest lineup in the early matches to ensure a top position was truly beneficial. While a first-place finish would typically be expected to result in a more favorable draw, Liverpool instead faced PSG in the round of 16, ultimately losing on penalties.
Slot acknowledged that his experience with the competition’s revamped format in the previous season had led him to believe that a team’s finishing position within the top eight might not be critically important, and that prioritizing squad rotation to maintain freshness for the round of 16 could potentially prove to be a more effective approach.
However, he did mention that consistently playing top teams did help them on their way to claiming the Premier League title. And obviously, the most tangible advantage of ending up in the top eight is not having to play two more games by missing out on the play-off round.
Considering how much the calendar already demands of the players physically, those weeks in the middle of the season where they don’t play are a big plus. That’s why, with six teams from England taking part this time, the Premier League teams should do really well. Arsenal were the best of the British teams last time, and they look even better now. Adding Alexander Isak has made people think Liverpool can do better, and Manchester City will want to be better than they were last year. Plus, Chelsea, Newcastle, and Spurs are all back in the group of top European clubs and will want to prove they belong there.
Barça seem really keen to do better than last season – if they can keep Lamine Yamal fit, you wouldn’t want to bet against them. As the current champions, everyone expects PSG to do well again, even though the super computer says they might have a tough schedule and not make the top eight again – though it didn’t really matter last year. It seems like event planners want competitions to be bigger and last longer, and this new format for European soccer is part of that. But if it keeps giving us great games, lets lesser teams have a chance, and keeps the quality and excitement we want in the final stages, then most soccer fans will probably be happy with it.
