Your thoughts on the new format and the new draw?

Im finding myself hating it right now but going to keep an open mind and see how the season goes

Draw is at 11AM central, by the way.

I think it'll be slightly better overall, but it's definitely a drastic change so I don't blame anyone for not liking it.

Biggest downside is clearly the toll it will take on players to have extra games.

Biggest upside to me is that we'll see less disparity in the strength of different draws. Extremely easy or hard draws ought to be less likely because you're drawing 8 instead of 3. Some might see this as a downside, but basically there's no advantage to being Pot 1. Everyone has the same chances to have the same strength of schedule. To me, this is a big benefit for Top 5 league teams with good rosters who happen to have low coefficients due to being out of UEFA competitions for awhile.

I'm curious to see how this will play out. I like that we'll get to see more marquee matchups throughout the competition. It will be weird that its not necessarily balanced with home/away games vs the same team. But I guess it will kind of affect all teams in the same way. Also interesting that there is no more Europa league access for teams that miss the knockout round. And I'll need to get used to seeing all the teams on one table.

Yeah the Europa thing bothered me at first, but the more I think about it, the more I like it for the sake of competitiveness and fair play.

Also, with the extra UCL playoff round before the knockouts, it's the same Top 24 that get to advance out of group (or league now I guess). This extra round is really neat IMO. It gives the Top 8 UCL teams a chance to rest and focus on domestic league for a few weeks, and lets 9-24 battle to advance after the winter transfer window. So often you'd see a team that advanced lose players and not be as good after the break or a team that went to Europa gain quality players and they probably would've done well in UCL… this gives an opportunity for the better squads to advance.

Should Real Madrid get an automatic pass to the semifinals or straight to the finals?

Idk looks like you guys and your tampering ways are getting knocked out based on the current table.

Pots look like this:

CONFIRMED: #UCLdraw pots for the league phase ✅ pic.twitter.com/hlVrDh7Hvt

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) August 28, 2024

It's unlikely, but it's possible that someone's schedule could face Real Madrid and Manchester City from Pot 1 and Leverkusen and Arsenal from Pot 2… facing 3 of Top 5 league champs and the EPL runner-up. Add in PSV, Sporting, Stuttgart and Villa from pots 3 and 4 and that's a hellacious schedule. (Edit, actually Villa would be impossible here… a team can't draw 2 from the same country).

On the flip side, someone could draw a schedule as easy as: Leipzig, Dortmund, Brugge, Shakhktar, Crvena, Young Boys, Bratislava, Strum Graz.

Both extremes are unlikely but possible. Anyone want to wager if RM gets the latter?

They're pulling out all the stops this show… Buffon and Ronaldo getting awards.

Draw upcoming.

Bayern get Barca. This is super rigged.

Holy **** City got an insanely easy draw

Dortmund with the Spanish gauntlet.

deadbq03 said:

---

They're pulling out all the stops this show… Buffon and Ronaldo getting awards.

Draw upcoming.

---

They felt bad for Ronaldo since he didn't win anything last year

PSG got the hardest so far, I think.

Liverpool v Madrid always

How the eff do we always get Barca and PSG in every effing UCL?

I'm not complaining because they might have been the weakest teams we could have drawn since we can't play the Bundesliga teams. But damn I would have liked to have at least Liverpool or someone to shake things up a bit.

I'll give it a year to assess, but initial impression, I think I like the format change. 2 more games. Pot 1 teams playing other Pot 1 teams during the initial stage gives more elite quality games. Real Madrid-Liverpool, Man City-PSG, Bayern-Barcelona, etc.

Big downside after the draw is the inability to know who's playing who in a single, tweetable graphic.

But I think once we get used to not having that, we'll like the varied scheduling and table format. It'll especially get interesting late in the phase as teams fight to get into Top 8, 16, or 24. If your team is fighting for a spot, you'll be rooting against other teams in games you might not normally care about.

I'm not a fan of 2 extra games and I think it actually makes it easier for the big names to advance. I'll be shocked if anyone from the first 2 pots don't advance to the next round. In the old format, you'd get some big teams not advancing. I don't think that'll happen now.

wangus12 said:

---

I'm not a fan of 2 extra games and I think it actually makes it easier for the big names to advance. I'll be shocked if anyone from the first 2 pots don't advance to the next round. In the old format, you'd get some big teams not advancing. I don't think that'll happen now.

---

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that was the point of the whole change. Get the bigger teams with bigger draws through to the knockouts so those teams can get more of a guarantee of payouts.

One of the ways they're trying to dissuade from the SuperLeague and address those concerns.

Some good matchups for sure

I'm with you. The financial standpoint is huge. Even for the big boys that might get bounced due to an early exit… PSG's schedule is going to bring in gobs of money, so even if they struggle, it's likely a financial coup.

Also, as I pointed out above, it makes it easier on bigger budget teams that have been away for years and therefore have low/no coefficients.

Stuttgart and Villa, for example got an easier draw than they would've under the old system because they get to draw 2 Pot 4's. I wouldn't be surprised if both of them make it to the playoff round. In fact, I'd be surprised if either doesn't.

And for that reason I think it does help the small clubs have a fighting chance. If they win 2 games against their Pot 4 counterparts, they likely just need a couple upsets elsewhere to advance.

I think we'll be pleasantly surprised. I think there's gonna be a decent amount of teams within striking distance of advancing on the last matchday, and it'll be highly entertaining.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5739537/2024/09/02/champions-league-ticket-prices-away-fans-cap/?source=user_shared_article UEFA introduces away ticket price caps for Champions League games

Insane (in a good way) the power that fan groups have in European football. 60 to see Madrid at Anfield? Arsenal at Milan? PSG at Bayern?

Price caps ain't great for a lot of reasons, but it's interesting how the fans can force these. Also the fan protests when their season tickets go up 2% to a whopping $700 or whatever for premier league football.

Madrid-Stuttgart pretty fun so far

Heck of a goal from Pulisic against Liverpool

CHRISTIAN PULISIC STRIKES TO SEND THE SAN SIRO INTO A FRENZY! 🔥

What a start for Milan ⚡🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/IsBa7UBfei

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) September 17, 2024

Lol Harry Kane has 4 goals (3 from the penalty spot) as Bayern destroy Zagreb

wangus12 said:

---

Lol Harry Kane has 4 goals (3 from the penalty spot) as Bayern destroy Zagreb

---

It was 3-2 in the 56'. It's now 9-2. Mia San Mia!

I'm assuming Goal Differential counts more in this new setup? Mainly I feel like Bayern would have normally called of the dogs by now.

Legal Custodian said:

---

wangus12 said:

---

Lol Harry Kane has 4 goals (3 from the penalty spot) as Bayern destroy Zagreb

---

It was 3-2 in the 56'. It's now 9-2. Mia San Mia!

I'm assuming Goal Differential counts more in this new setup? Mainly I feel like Bayern would have normally called of the dogs by now.

---

I hadn't thought about GD and I think you're right, especially for the top-end teams… getting into the Top 8 is a big deal and it's reasonable to think teams will either be tied or close to it.

In the old group stage, top teams might have their group locked up by MW4. This model has a lot more uncertainty for the top teams (to get Top 8… the new format also practically guarantees that all the top teams will make the top 24).

Is there ranking of thr top 8 or do they all just go in a pot?

ChipFTAC01 said:

---

Is there ranking of thr top 8 or do they all just go in a pot?

---

It's pots, still. So only the cutoff ranks matter (8, 16, 24).

Girona GK gives up a howler at the end of the match to let PSG win. Playground mistake from him (after huge saves earlier).

Can Barca hang with 10 for 80 minutes? Stay tuned!

Some crazy results today
Lille beat madrid and villa beat bayern

Table is all sorts of crazy after two full matchdays