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For many soccer fans all over the world, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Champions League is the most important competition of the year. Created in 1955, the Champions League has offered an arena for the top clubs of Europe to compete for a cup, and more importantly, the title of “best club in Europe.” Arguably the most prestigious tournament in the world, the Champions League is where you go to watch the best players play the best players. However, after 70 years, the Champions League has changed.
This year saw the introduction of a new format for the Champions League group stage. In hopes of creating a more fair system that churns out the most deserving teams, the previous six-game group stage was extended to eight games against eight different teams. Prior to this change, teams would be placed in a four-team group, where they would each play a home and away leg against the others, totaling six games. The new format resembles that of a domestic league table, allowing teams to face off against a wider range of opponents and creating different stages for progression through the tournament. The top 8 in the table automatically advance to the round of 16, with numbers 9 through 24 being randomly drawn against each other for a two-leg playoff which will ultimately produce the remaining teams for the round of 16.
The introduction of this new format was highly controversial, with many fans seeing it as a cash grab. However, we have found this year’s reformatting to have worked quite well, and interestingly enough, it did not result in all the “best teams” being clumped up at the top as many fans predicted. This phase of the tournament was riddled with the upsets and surprises that normally make the Champions League so exciting. Although it is too early to judge the success of this new format, we feel confident in saying that this format might have been exactly what was needed to bring more excitement to the 70-year-old tournament.
League Play
This new Champions League format delivered plenty of surprises after eight games of league play. Traditional powerhouses like Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, and Manchester City—two of which won the last two cups—struggled to adapt, finding themselves in the knockout round playoffs. Meanwhile, less-heralded clubs like Aston Villa and Lille FC, who haven’t tasted Champions League success in years or even decades, secured automatic qualification through stellar yet surprising performances. Perhaps most shockingly, established clubs from major leagues, including Bologna FC from Italy and RB Leipzig from Germany, were eliminated.
One possible explanation for these unexpected results lies in the grueling schedule players now face. Beyond their domestic league matches, they must juggle international qualifiers, cup competitions, the FIFA Club World Cup, and of course Champions League fixtures. This dramatic increase in playing time has led to widespread player discontent, with Manchester City’s star player and Ballon d’Or winner Rodri even suggesting the possibility of strikes over insufficient pay and rest periods.
The final match day perfectly illustrated the tournament’s unpredictability. Manchester City, champions just two seasons ago, found themselves in a fierce battle just to reach the knockouts. When Club Bruges’s Raphael Onyedika scored at the end of the first half, viewers watched with a mix of anxiety and excitement–could one of world soccer’s giants really be eliminated by a club whose entire wage bill amounts to a fraction of City’s? However, City demonstrated their championship pedigree in the second half, equalizing before opening the floodgates to secure a 3–1 victory and their place in the competition.
Looking Ahead
For the 16 teams who did not automatically qualify, a drawing took place to decide the matchups for this section of the Champions League. There will be eight matchups with two legs each, where one game will be played at each stadium, with the team with the most cumulative goals advancing. Unfortunately for fans looking for exciting duels, this draw really didn’t seem to provide those—in the case of all but one matchup.
The most enticing matchup that resulted from the League play stage sees defending Premier League champions Manchester City face off against the reigning victors of the competition, Real Madrid. That one of these powerhouses will be out before the round of 16 even begins is shocking, but we must sit back and enjoy the show while it lasts.
After having dominated England for the past eight years, Manchester City has been experiencing its most notable slump in some time, but shouldn’t yet be ruled out. Real Madrid currently sits on top of La Liga and has been enjoying a strong spell since August—but likely will be without star center-back Antonio Rüdiger for the fixtures. Picking up clever pockets of space and taking quick shots in recent matches, Phil Foden has picked up his form after experiencing a rather dry start to the season and will be one to watch. Erling Haaland is always a threat, and we would not be surprised if he bags a few more goals over the two legs. Vinicius Jr., Rodrygo, and Jude Bellingham have all looked dominant in recent weeks, and it will be interesting to see how they do against the faltering and sometimes sloppy Man City defense that we’ve seen so far this season.
These two legs should be an absolute thriller for neutrals and die-hards alike, and we think it is safe to say that any bet is uncertain when these two face off. Our recommendation? Kick back and simply enjoy some scintillating footy.
Harry Freeland can be reached at hfreeland@wesleyan.edu.
Leo Ferry can be reached at lferry@wesleyan.edu.