Champions League 2024-25: First impressions of new format
This new ‘league phase’ – instead of lots of groups all containing four teams – is going to take some getting used to.
One big table with 36 teams is something we do not even see in league football, and taking it all in involves some serious scrolling. You can check out the full thing here.
Remember, teams who finish in the top eight will qualify automatically for the last 16, while those who place ninth to 24th will compete in a two-legged knockout play-off for the chance to join them.
Whoever finishes 25th or lower will be eliminated. So only one-third of teams actually go out after everyone plays eight games.
According to Opta, 16 points from a possible 24 gives a 98% chance of a top-eight finish.
Ten points is 99% likely to lead to a top-24 finish, so teams who won this week only need two more wins and a draw for a chance of reaching the last 16.
Fifteen teams won their opening games (meaning 15 teams lost) which leaves six clubs in between on one point.
In a nutshell, if you won you’ve got a great chance of going through. If you lost… you’ve still got a great chance of going through.
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