A number of restrictions have also been lifted.
Only three teams are definitively in the top 8
There are now 36 participants, 24 teams pass, 12 are immediately eliminated from European competition without participating in the Europa League qualifiers. But only eight clubs will avoid two play-off matches. This means additional stress and the risk of leaving early. The top eight will certainly be Liverpool, Barcelona and Arsenal. Moreover, Inter’s chances are almost 100%. Nine teams have already been eliminated, and three more finally have a theoretical opportunity to escape.
Atlético, Bayer and Milan feel good before the final round. But some of them might no longer make the top eight. Aston Villa have around a 50/50 chance of finishing in the top 8. A number of clubs have a much lower chance of avoiding an extra round. The list includes Atalanta, Lille, Feyenoord and Borussia D. The situation is much more interesting than in the old format. PSGBenfica, Stuttgart and Manchester City risk relegation Champions League.
At the same time, cool clubs will not leave the tournament. But PSG and Stuttgart face each other, and the Citizens must defeat Bruges. A draw will not suit you. Dinamo Zagreb would have had a chance to make a splash, but they faced too difficult an opponent – Milan. Conceição needs a victory over the Croats under Cannavaro to secure a place in the top eight. And many famous clubs will be stuck in the middle of the general ranking.
Real Madrid’s chances of finishing in the top eight are 2.9%, while Bayern’s are 7.9%. Juventus only has 0.8%. The Italian club ended the fight for the highest places. The final round will take place next Wednesday, all matches at the same time, January 29. It will be a real meat grinder, because just one goal can change the destiny of the club. The main indicator in case of a tie on points is the goal difference. Next, they look at the number of goals scored by the teams in all matches in the first stage.
Even if a single difference is not enough. Atalanta has excellent results, but in the last round they will play against Barcelona. Although the Catalans have solved the problem, they are unlikely to accept losing to the Bergamo club for the Italians to remain in the top 8. There are many nuances. The French played well – Lille, Brest and Monaco will be in the playoffs, and PSG should appear there if he does not lose against Stuttgart. Girona, Leipzig and Bologna were relegated from the top 5 clubs.
Accidents have become much more serious
IN UEFA proposed a completely new approach to forming the playoff bracket. The diagram is simple, but requires explanation. Even on the official website UEFA There is now a playoff bracket simulator so club officials and fans can follow changes in real time. Now both sides of the mesh are silver and blue. The fact is that the first and second teams in the general stage cannot compete against each other until the final.
Now they are old friends, Liverpool and Barcelona. The draws for the play-off round on January 31 and all other rounds on February 21 will be different. Viewers will receive the full schedule of the regular playoffs, starting with the 1/8 finals at the end of February. After all matches in the play-off phase for 16 clubs. Before that, many will have time to understand the new main principle: everyone has two possible opponents.
Either way. For example, Aston Villa is in ninth place and Monaco is in tenth place. They could get the teams that close the playoff spots – Sporting or Stuttgart. The British will host one of their opponents, Golovin’s team will host the other. One team will be in the silver portion of the playoffs and the other in the blue portion. Neighbors of the table in pairs (places 1 and 2, 3 and 4, etc.) will only meet in the final.
For example, a victorious Liverpool has the choice of four possible opponents in the first playoff matches: Bayern, Real Madrid, Juventus or Celtic. They will choose a pair from four clubs, find the strongest and he will play either Liverpool or Barcelona. Meet a serious opponent immediately. Accidents have become even more serious. After all, it’s one thing to fight with Real Madrid and Bayer, and another to come out on top PSV and Milan.
You can face clubs from the same league
The organizers of the Champions League do not like finals in which two teams belong to the same league. There has never been a match between Real Madrid and Barcelona with a fabulous rating. But two clubs from England, Spain and Germany met. Previously, there were restrictions on the draw to separate compatriots in the first round of the playoffs. Now, in the final phase, it no longer matters. The reason is clear: the place in the table is more important, this is the key rule.
There was only one inconsistency. Participants in seventh and eighth place are now offered teams that open either the next batch of clubs or further down the tail of the passing zone. As a result, Liverpool and Barcelona, leaders in the ranking, can immediately have more serious “middle peasants”, such as Real Madrid and Bayern. The organizers did not expect the giants to take place below Feyenoord and Brest. Or they will fall behind jolly Celtic.
The reality turned out to be beneficial for middle peasants. Even Europa League finalists Bayer Leverkusen and Atalanta are not spoiled by recent Champions League success. They will happily qualify for the playoffs and wait for their first opponents. Who should worry about the complexity of the path? Obviously, Juventus. It is important for the people of Turin not to come across Real or Bayern straight away. Ideally, it is also important to avoid Liverpool and Barcelona in the next round.
But at PSGdespite the low position in the standings, a comfortable path to the playoffs is currently emerging. The first choice will be Lille or Feyenoord. As you can see, the French can meet the French. And then Atletico or Milan, on whom Luis Enrique will try to put pressure so as not to repeat the mistakes of the match against Simeone. We had the initiative, but we lost. And one more change: old opponents can play.
Real Madrid and Liverpool faced each other on the main stage. And no one will prevent them from meeting again quickly in the playoffs. The draw will immediately separate the lucky ones from the less lucky ones. There will be many nice duels, almost all the big ones will advance further. Only with different atmospheres. The seeded teams – the first eight, or the next eight in the play-offs – will receive bonuses in the form of home return matches. On February 21, a complete bracket for the entire playoffs will be formed.
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