Graham Ruthven | This is when the new Champions League format will come into its own – let the chaos commence

SOME of Europe’s biggest clubs are sweating on their place in the next round of the Champions League. Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid all need points in their final two matches of the league phase to avoid an early exit from the competition. This is where the Champions League’s new format could come into its own.

Nobody knew what to expect from the changes made to the Champions League for the 2024/25 season. UEFA got rid of the groups that had been part of the competition for the past three decades. In its place, they introduced a 32-team single table that generated more confusion than excitement.

The new format has created more heavyweight clashes. In matchday one, Inter Milan claimed a point away to Manchester City. In matchday two, Arsenal overcame Paris Saint-Germain. There was a rematch of last season’s final between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund in matchday three as well as a Barcelona thumping of Bayern Munich.

However, the real upside of the Champions League’s new format has been the number of underdog stories it has helped produced. Brest are on course for a place in the last 16. So too are Lille with Celtic one win away from making the knockout rounds of the Champions League for the first time since 2008.

For an underdog to rise, a heavyweight must fall, putting the likes of City, PSG and Real Madrid at risk of crashing out of the competition before the knockout rounds. With City and PSG facing each other this week, there is further potential for one of Europe’s biggest and richest clubs to fall further off the pace.

The final two match days of the league phase could cause chaos. It could generate the drama many believe the Champions League was previously lacking in the group stage, with the situation changing among 32 teams with every goal and pivotal moment that happens in each match. The vast majority of the field still have something to play for.

🥰 pic.twitter.com/2WUeaNlhkP

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) January 20, 2025

Even those who are confident of their place in the knockout rounds will be desperate to secure a position in the top eight in order to avoid another round of fixtures between the league phase and the last 16. Liverpool and Barcelona are the only sides who are effectively through. Everyone else is still scrapping for points.

One point is all that separates Arsenal in third place in the 32-team table and AC Milan in 12th. In fact, there’s just three points between Mikel Arteta’s side and Club Bruges in 19th. PSG are below the qualification line in 25th place, but could climb as many as five places with a victory at the Etihad Stadium this week.

While the Champions League is undeniably the elite level of European football, the competition is at a crossroads. The European Super League might have disintegrated, but it exposed a power struggle in the sport. The biggest and best want more power with the rest falling further and further behind.

UEFA changed the format of the Champions League to appease the clubs that threatened to break away and create their own tournament. They introduced more heavyweight fixtures into the schedule and made it easier for teams from Europe’s ‘Big Five’ leagues to qualify – the Premier League is expected to have five qualification places this season.

It has, however, also given hope to underdogs intent on making an impression on the continental game. This season’s Champions League hasn’t been all thrills, but the league phase has the potential to reach a crescendo over the next two weeks. Let the chaos commence.

---

Please remember to gamble responsibly. Visit our Safer Gambling section for more information, help and advice.