MANCHESTER, England — The concluding matches of the revamped Champions League league phase are set to take place on Wednesday, with prominent teams such as Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain facing potential early exits from the tournament. Defending champions Real Madrid and the six-time titleholders Bayern Munich are also in the mix, striving to avoid playoff matches as the competition intensifies.
The changes implemented by UEFA to this prestigious tournament seem to have created significant excitement as the final round of games approaches.
Historically, the European Cup has undergone numerous modifications since its debut in 1955, which featured a simple knockout format consisting of four rounds. Over time, the tournament’s structure evolved, and in 1992, it was rebranded as the Champions League.
Since 2003, the format included 32 teams divided into eight groups, with the top 16 progressing to the knockout stages. However, this season marks a departure from the traditional group stage; it has been replaced by a single group comprising 36 teams. Through a seeded draw, each team competes in individual matches against eight distinct opponents.
The eight best teams automatically qualify for the round of 16, while those finishing between ninth and 24th enter a playoff round. Teams ranking below that threshold face elimination from the competition.
In terms of how games will unfold in the final round, instead of the usual two-day finale for group stages, all 36 teams will compete at the same time on Wednesday, starting at 9 p.m. CET (2000 GMT).
Currently, Liverpool leads the standings and has already secured its place in the round of 16, along with Barcelona, which occupies second place. Meanwhile, 15-time champions Real Madrid are among 16 teams competing for one of the remaining six automatic qualification spots, hoping to avoid the playoff round entirely.
Among the standout narratives, Manchester City, the defending champions, must achieve a victory against Brugge to secure a place in the playoffs. A failure to win would mean elimination from the tournament. PSG, who recently triumphed over City, is in contention as well but could face the risk of going out with a loss to Stuttgart.
Real Madrid has quelled worries of an early exit by defeating Salzburg 5-1 last week. However, the defending champions may still need to prepare for the precarious possibility of a playoff round, facing strong competition from teams currently within the 9th to 24th spots, including Bayern, Juventus, PSG, and Borussia Dortmund—the latter being last year’s final loser. Manchester City will be vying to secure one of the advantageous positions too.
As it stands, Liverpool leads the rankings with a flawless winning streak from its first seven matches. They require just one point against PSV Eindhoven to finish the league phase on top, while Barcelona, trailing by three points, could overtake Liverpool with a win against Atalanta if Liverpool suffers a defeat.
The benefits of securing the top spot remain uncertain. With an already tightly packed schedule due to the added league phase matches, avoiding the playoffs helps alleviate the burden of playing two additional games. Nevertheless, numerous elite teams currently occupying playoff spots mean there’s a likelihood of facing formidable opponents in the round of 16.
Should Wednesday’s results align with the current standings, Liverpool may find itself against powerhouses such as Madrid, Bayern, Juventus, or Celtic in the knockout phase—definitely not an ideal scenario for a team aiming to finish first.
