The new Champions League 2024-25 brought several new features, the main one being the change in format. Gone is the traditional group stage in which 32 teams were drawn into eight different groups in which four sought a place in the round of 16 in six matches – two against each rival home and away. Today the competition is radically different and by welcoming four additional clubs we find that some of them are of very poor quality, which means an increase in goals, which is totally necessary for the bigger players.
The best teams Europe They are obliged to score as many goals as possible in this reformed Champions League, since there are only eight places in the round of 16 for the 36 teams competing in it. Furthermore, each of these positions will be decisive for the next match, so finishing first or second is not the same as finishing third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh or eighth.
This means that faced with a positive cross in the round of 16 or in playoffswhich will go from ninth to twenty-fourth, it is essential to score a lot of goals, since the classification can be as tight as possible until the last day of the championship. When the goal average between teams disappears, since each team only plays one match against its eight rivals, the general difference between goals scored and goals conceded comes into play, which will be essential to decide between positions in the event of a tie on points.
This tie is a more than possible scenario among the big clubs because it is so easy to defeat lesser quality rivals. It goes without saying, barring any major surprises, that the best European teams will beat their most affordable opponents, which is why the score at the end of the group stage looks very close between them.
Many victories in the new Champions League
As a result, over these first two days we see a large number of goals and defeats from the big teams against the smaller teams in the competition. Without going any further, this Tuesday was loaded with goals, with shots like that of Brest At Salzburg at home (0-4), that of Barcelona At Young boys In Montjuïc (5-0), that of Inter Milan At Red Star (4-0), that of Manchester City far from home Slovak Bratislava (0-4), or the thickest, that of Borussia Dortmund At Glasgow Celtic (7-1).
Going from 32 to 36 teams is not the only novelty with which the Champions League is presented in this edition, but the most important thing is that there is no longer a group stage in the first weeks, but that the teams will form a world ranking. and unique, in which eight matches chosen by draw will be taken into account, four at home and four away.
The results will shape the ranking, from which the top eight clubs will have direct access to the knockout stages of the Champions League, with the next 16 placed between ninth and twenty-fourth position, with access to the round of 16. Finally, from twenty-fifth place onwards, all teams are eliminated from the competition.
Among the favorites to go far in the Champions League, the candidates of recent years stand out, led by Real Madrid, current champion. In addition to whites, City, Paris Saint-Germainhe Bayern Munich or the Barca These will also be teams to consider when reviewing the results of the group stage which replaces the group stage.
