What have we learned about the new Champions League format?

The Champions League’s new league phase format is already changing the dynamics of European football. On paper, winning the league phase should help teams secure easier draws, but last season Liverpool finished top and still fell at the first knockout hurdle against PSG.

Despite finishing 15th in the league phase, PSG went on to win their first Champions League trophy, beating Liverpool, Aston Villa, Arsenal, and Inter Milan. Finishing in the top eight gives teams an automatic spot in the last 16, but the first season showed it was far from a guarantee of progress.

Only four of the top eight reached the quarter-finals, and just three made it into the semi-finals. Strong clubs like Atletico Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen were knocked out straight away. In short, while the new format offers an advantage in theory, results proved that no spot is completely safe.

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Last season also gave a mixed picture of English teams. Arsenal were the only Premier League side to reach the semi-finals, while other big names went out earlier than expected. England had four clubs in the league phase, compared to five each from Italy and Germany, but were the best-performing nation in terms of placing three clubs in the top eight.

Germany, meanwhile, saw two of their five eliminated in the league stage. Looking at competitiveness, the final round of matches proved to be crucial, with only two teams certain of progressing beforehand, unlike the old group-stage format where most qualification spots were often settled earlier.

As for points, 16 was the minimum required for a top-eight finish, while 11 to 15 points was enough to reach the top 24 and the knockout play-offs. With six English clubs in this season’s edition, the expectation is for stronger performances.

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