Champions League group stage hasn't been worth watching for a while IMO. However they decide to break it up, I will probably only being watching in the knockout rounds as I have done for a while.
This change increases the number of group stage games from 96 to 180. Then an additional sixteen games comes from the "playoff round" between the teams who finish 9th-24th.
180 group games played to knockout 12 teams as opposed to 96 games to knockout 16 teams is bananas.
It's a drift towards a more American model. Take the NBA - a league of 30 teams who play 1230 games to knockout less than half.
Wonder how the big teams will feel if this suddenly starts to work in favour for some of the lesser teams amongst those 36... Although imagine there will only be four who get through from the Qualifying Stage no doubt.
They plan on 2 of the 4 extra teams that qualify to be on “legacy status” so if a massive team miss out on finishing in the top 4 they can be given a spot anyway. It’s is basically UEFAs peace offering to counter any Super League talk.
But if there’s 36 teams, how do they work out which 10 teams each team plays?
Guessing here but I would imagine they will do something like splitting the 36 teams into six pots based on club coefficient…
Say you are in pot 1, you would get five home games from pot 2/3/4/5/6 and five away games from pot 2/3/4/5/6.
And those teams would probably not be the same across the 10 games so if you’re Real Madrid for example your home games could be Chelsea, Lille, Zenit, Ajax and Salzburg while your away games are PSG, Spurs, Leipzig, Besiktas and Brugge…
Bayern 3 Salzburg 0 after 23 minutes. Lewandowski hat trick, takes him to 42 goals for the season!
145 goals in his last 122 games.
I know people will say 'yes but he plays in a 1 team league' but his record in the champions league over the past 4 seasons is 40 goals in 32 games. Ridiculous scoring record.
3rd in the all time scorers list and has a better goals per game ratio than Messi and Ronaldo.
Great shame, although i dont like Liverpool that killed of the tie in the end. Both legs were pretty competitive, Liverpool deserved the win but was hoping it would go 2-2 and extra time etc. Actually wanted them to win for a change but a good tie until Sanchez was an idiot. Great goal too by Martinez
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Neil beat me to it
Also, UEFA are in discussions with their lawyers over the ability to break their sponsorship contract with Gazprom.
RIP Champions League
180 group games played to knockout 12 teams as opposed to 96 games to knockout 16 teams is bananas.
It's a drift towards a more American model. Take the NBA - a league of 30 teams who play 1230 games to knockout less than half.
Felt this would be a good game, (1-1 in the first leg) and while Munich have been suspect at the back they’ve been ruthless up front.
145 goals in his last 122 games.
3rd in the all time scorers list and has a better goals per game ratio than Messi and Ronaldo.
Looking forward to this one.