UEFA Champions League: Early impression of new expansive format

The UEFA Champions League is up and running in its new expansive format with 36 teams spread across one giant table instead of eight groups of four teams each (32 clubs in all). There are quite a few things that are new: number of teams, the structure of the format, fixtures over three days and presence of some new names to the top-tier of European football.

Once again, a reminder of how things work: From the 36 teams that make up the UEFA Champions League, top-eight will qualify automatically for the Round of 16, while those who finish ninth to 24th will compete in a two-legged knockout for the chance to join them. The teams that finish 25th or lower, will be eliminated. So after every team has played eight matches in the league stage - four at home and four away - two-thirds will keep their European hopes alive.

Was it more competitive as hoped?

It is definitely too early to tell but in the first round of matches, the top seeds dropped more points this time around than the first round last year.

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Last season, six of the eight won, with one draw and one loss.

This year, of the nine top seeds, five won, two drew (against each other) and two lost.

The bottom seeds, though, fared better. Four of the nine teams that entered the Champions League draw in ‘pot four’ won - including Aston Villa. Last year none of the bottom eight seeds won their opening games.

Did big games deliver the thrill?

AC Milan vs Liverpool, Manchester City vs Inter Milan, Atalanta vs Arsenal.

One of the reasons touted for the new format is that there will be more matches between the top teams - maybe in an attempt to fend off the failed European Super League.

Unlike the past, teams in the top pot will face other big sides in the group stage. The only match from two clubs in pot one this matchday was Manchester City vs Inter Milan, a re-match of the 2023 final, at the Etihad Stadium which ended goalless.

But that wasn’t the only big ticket contest from the three days of matches. Liverpool travelled to the San Siro in a repeat of the 2005 and 2007 final. AC Milan took an early lead before the Premier League club roared back for a 3-1 win.

There are more big matches on offer in the second matchday: Arsenal vs PSG, Bayer Leverkusen vs AC Milan, Benfica vs Atletico Madrid.

How did the new faces fare?

Sparta Prague, playing their first main draw Champions League game for 19 years, beat Salzburg 3-0.

French side Brest, who were making their debut in any European competition, and playing away from their regular home to meet UEFA’s stadium requirements, beat Sturm Graz 2-1.

La Liga outfit Girona, also playing a European game for the first time, were moments away from a draw at PSG before Paulo Gazzaniga’s own goal.

Italy’s Bologna appeared in the European Cup/UEFA Champions League competition for the first time in just under 60 years. They played out a goalless draw against Ukraine’s Shakhtar Donetsk.

Of note, Shakhtar wore a yellow-and-blue striped jersey, blue shorts and yellow socks in a show of national pride amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which is currently in its third year.

How many points could be good enough to qualify?

In the previous format, teams played six matches in each group - three at home and three away - with the top-two going forward. It was easy to guess who could qualify for the next round. In this format, in its first edition, it is not easy to make the prediction. Statistics company Opta believes 16 points from a possible 24 gives a 98% chance of a top-eight finish.

Ten points creates a 99% likelihood of a top-24 finish, so teams who have won this week, only need two more wins and a draw for a chance of reaching the next stage. 15 teams won their first games of the European season (meaning 15 teams lost) which leaves six clubs in between on one point.

So if your team, all is not lost and there’s a very good chance they can go through regardless. Unless you’re Dinamo Zagreb who have it tough after conceding nine goals and a goal difference of -7 following a 2-9 loss to Bayern Munich.