Set to kick off in an expanded format, we preview what we can expect from the new-look UEFA Champions League.
As we are starting to get into the full flow of the new season, the new format of the UEFA Champions League is upon us. If you’re like me, your head is probably still trying to figure it all out. Gone is the group format and instead, we’ve got a rather large league table. UEFA and FIFA seem to tinker with a lot of stuff for no reason whatsoever, and while drastic changes are normally met with a majority of negative responses, this one seems to be getting mixed signals.
The league phase table 💫#UCL pic.twitter.com/dlMOJW6nbO
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) September 2, 2024
This season, the expanded field of 36 will each play a total of eight matches against eight separate teams in what’s been dubbed the “league phase,” with four games at home and four away. The top eight teams automatically advance into the round of 16, while the ninth- through 24th-placed teams advance to a two-legged playoff round to make up the final eight spots in the knockout round. From there, it’s business as usual.
Each team was drawn manually before UEFA’s new supercomputer figured out all the fixtures. In the newly formed league stage, there will be no shortage of heavyweight bouts: Manchester City will see both PSG and Juventus, Liverpool will take on Milan and Real Madrid, and Arsenal will face Inter and PSG. Then there’s Barcelona–Bayern Munich, and even a repeat of last year’s final between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund. With more teams entering the Champions League, it is apparent that UEFA did not want the competition to feel watered down.
✅ Home and away opponents for Pot 1 teams 🏠✈️#UCLdraw pic.twitter.com/4bwEU4zCqq
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) August 29, 2024
Getting more interesting fixtures early on in the tournament will eliminate the often long wait for marquee clubs to face off. But it feels strange nonetheless. Could these early matchups numb the drama of the tournament’s latter stages, and could more clashes between massive clubs take away from the novelty of the knockout round? Plus, we’re now getting Champions League games on a Thursday, which feels awfully weird.
There’s also the argument about the new league phase scheduling. Unlike the previous group stage format, the league phase doesn’t have a balanced home and away structure. With eight total matches all against different teams, clubs don’t get to see opponents in both home and away settings. Is this competitively fair? Some teams will have better home support than others — does this give those clubs an advantage?
We’ll have to see for ourselves if this new format will work or not. Barring an absolute disaster, it’s very unlikely UEFA will revert back, so I suppose we’d better get used to it. Football is changing constantly and this is just another step from UEFA to completely alter the game we know. Let’s hope it pays off — otherwise one of the best tournaments in the game will have been ruined forever.
