January 29 – Tonight the UEFA Champions League concludes its league phase with, for the first time, all 18 games being played on the same night and with the same kick-off time.
The new format has been a major success. 27 of the 36 teams still have something to for, whether it is getting into the top eight teams, or securing a place in the next 16 places for the knockout play-offs.
Only two of the final round of games do not affect the qualification places.
One of the big selling points of the new format was that it would keep teams playing until the end of the first round. Every game would have a bearing on final league position, with tonight’s fixtures being the dramatic climax of that process and delivering the desired jeopardy the competition and fans desperately needed.
Only three of the nine top-seeded teams from the Monaco – Liverpool, Barcelona and Inter Milan – are guaranteed a top eight finish. Three teams from Pot 4 in the draw – Aston Villa, Monaco and Brest – have secured places in the knockout round but are still within reach of a top-eight finish.
Those three are beginners in the new format. There are also potentially some very big losers. Manchester City must win at home to Club Brugge to squeeze into the top 24 and the play-off round.
Just two points separate teams in eighth and 20th positions, with Real Madrid, currently 16th, needing a significant win away to Brest – one of the breakthrough teams of this Champions League – if they are to make it into the top eight.
UEFA highlights that in the old group phase, where teams played each other twice, there were 48 different match-ups. In the new 36-club league phase, each team plays eight different opponents amounting to 144 unique matches.
There has also been an increase in big clashes in the early stages of the competition, as teams from Pots 1 and 2 respectively have faced each another in the league phase. There have been rematches of four of the past five Champions League finals.
The new league format has seen more goals and fewer drawn games than in previous group format games. Clubs have realised they have to win and that a draw is not likely to be enough to guarantee a spot in the next round.
Which leads us to tonight’s final round of winner takes all matches.
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