16 should, 17 or 18 definitely will.
Match Thread Bayer Leverkusen (H) - Tues 20:00
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From UEFA
In the knockout phase, the teams that finish between 9th and 16th will be seeded in the knockout phase play-off draw, meaning they will face a team placed 17th to 24th – with, in principle, the return leg at home. The eight clubs which prevail in the knockout phase play-offs will then progress to the round of 16, where they will each face one of the top-eight finishers, who will be seeded in the round of 16.
To strengthen the synergy between the league and knockout phases, and to provide more sporting incentive during the league phase, the pairings of the knockout phase will also be partly determined by the league phase rankings, with a draw which likewise determines and lays out the route for teams to reach the final.
From the round of 16 onwards, the competition will continue to follow its existing format of knockout rounds leading to the final staged at a neutral venue selected by UEFA.
In the knockout phase, the teams that finish between 9th and 16th will be seeded in the knockout phase play-off draw, meaning they will face a team placed 17th to 24th – with, in principle, the return leg at home. The eight clubs which prevail in the knockout phase play-offs will then progress to the round of 16, where they will each face one of the top-eight finishers, who will be seeded in the round of 16.
To strengthen the synergy between the league and knockout phases, and to provide more sporting incentive during the league phase, the pairings of the knockout phase will also be partly determined by the league phase rankings, with a draw which likewise determines and lays out the route for teams to reach the final.
From the round of 16 onwards, the competition will continue to follow its existing format of knockout rounds leading to the final staged at a neutral venue selected by UEFA.
Clear as mud..
I don’t think it’s the number of games. It’s the intensity of the games mixed with there being something on the line right at the end of the season. In our last final we were still going for it up to the final day whereas Madrid could coast for 3 weeks.
Yeah it should probably say they do a draw with top 8 in one pot and rest in another.
That's what the computers forecast.
Does that mean it's 9 v 24, 10 v 23 so on OR anyone from 9-16 v anyone from 17-24?????
A lot of money for finishing top 8 though. There's your jeopardy.
What do you mean by "means jeoprady"? For who?
We're almost at the halfway stage and you have 4 teams in the top 8 you never would've thought would be there.....whilst you have the likes of PSG, Atleti, Juve and Bayern struggling, of course it's all to play for.
Bit of a false economy. Financially will work this season but going forward if people are bored by the nature of it then wouldn't be so sure will stick. That has to be marketable to the public, in the future which is bby no mean guaranteed.
Will all depend on the final 2 round of games in Jan, about those top 8 and 9-24 placings to the public I think. I doubt there is armchair Celtic fan counting how the extra 6m or whatever based on a few placings.
For a fan...
In the old days, if RM had lost 3 games by now then there would be a reasonable chance they are going out but you know they will make it and same with City. I don't feel there is any risk, it's obvious one of the key components about the format is to ensure big teams stay in as long as possible as well ensuring there are more games and money.
RM have lost 2 so far, if they want to guarentee their place in the last 16 then they're going to have to win 3 of their remaining 4 and probably get a point in the other.
The old way RM made the last 16 every single season anyway so using them as an example here is invalid, so I fail to see how this new format gives them more of a chance of staying in longer?
As things stand I'm pretty sure fans of Bayern, PSG, Atleti are looking at that table and feeling anxious. Leipzig are pretty decent, no? They're already as good as out.
It's very possible that finishing in the top half is going to match us with one of these underperforming top teams.
You mean twat one of them.
Why is it invalid? As a spectacle, you compare between now and then. Really isn't that difficult to understand as a competition comparison. Yes 2 losses and not 3, but if they had done the same which I don't think have done for a good few seasons then it would be some story developing.
With the current with another 4 games to go, they will still more likely qualify than if they had done the same previously. So you don't quiet get why previously top 16 qualify for knockouts but now it's top 24 and don't see that as more chance of a club staying in the competition with those extra 8 places? it's obvious for the knockout rounds.
Because in the old format Madrid were making the last 16 on the CL comfortably every single season since it was renamed, so to then use that same club, the record winners of this competition, as a argument to say this new format is designed to keep all the big sides in till the end is invalid.
In the 6 game group stage, at the halfway point, your PSG's, Atleti's Milan's Juve's Bayern's etc would already be 1 foot in the last 16. Here we are halfway of the 8 game league phase and all of those sides have it all to play for if they want to make it there, back to your original point that every half decent side will qualify, the table would disagree.
You have missed the point again. So old format top 16 make knockout, this one top 24 make the revised knockout format. They are all in the top 24, it doesn't matter if they lost 2, 3 or 4. Those 8 extra places make a massive difference.
But really is boring personally I think especially with the length of it.Feels like some a some kind of American sport with Playoffs, will take some getting used to for now.
If the current top 8 stays that way after round 8 then would agree, then having any of those 4 in the top 8 knockout would be impressive and different to what would have been possible in the old format..
Fucking boss format.
Can't wait for the next round of games when we demote Madrid to a play off against an Inter or Arsenal - something which Madrid fans and Spanish media would no doubt cast as some crisis in itself, something you'd never have seen before. Atleti Bayern in the other big play off clash, PSG automatically out and being embarrassments again, 3 big boys gotta go.
Can't wait for the next round of games when we demote Madrid to a play off against an Inter or Arsenal - something which Madrid fans and Spanish media would no doubt cast as some crisis in itself, something you'd never have seen before. Atleti Bayern in the other big play off clash, PSG automatically out and being embarrassments again, 3 big boys gotta go.
You're right it isn't.
Under the old format we'd very likely not have seen these matches, or most of them, until likely the quarterfinals (and then two legs whereas now one match means far less sitting back) :
City vs Inter (both champions so they wouldn't have met)
AC vs Liverpool
Barca vs Bayern
Madrid vs Dortmund
Leverkusen vs AC
Liverpool vs Leverkusen
Inter vs Arsenal
Madrid vs AC
Bayern vs PSG
Liverpool vs Madrid
Leverkusen vs Inter
Dortmund vs Barca
Juve vs City
PSG vs City
There are going to be far more big games between 'top' teams with this new format. You may think it's boring but just reading this thread should show you more think it's not.
Feels like the opinion is mixed, it's not one way. There are more top quality games but also more one sided spankings too.
Seen others elsewhere feeling the same and just listen to some of the podcasts like James Richardson, I would say reaction is mixed so far.
Let's see how it evolves.
It's boring because it's complicated. With the group system you could easily assess any given team's chances, because their next matches were knowable and the permutations were simple. To get a feel for a club's chances in this system you need to know their draw (ie it's not obvious looking at the table) and the draws of maybe 10+ other teams who might affect them, and even if you did, you'd have to make predictions for all those teams' matches - it's exponentially more complicated.
The upshot is it's really almost impossible to see how things are going to shake out until the last couple of matches. I think it's shit.
You can't please 100% of the people 100% of the time and it's human nature for some of them to be resistant to change.
You always got spankings in the group stages before - how could you not when teams were in pots from 1 to 4 pitting the highest ranked against the lowest ranked?!
So its boring because you have to think and calculate a bit more? I dont agree in all honesty. You'd think that it not being settled early would make it much better.
With the old format 75% of the groups would have a clear winner after 4 games and in the end you'd have so many pointless fixtures.
Its also less boring that you're not playing the same teams home and away.
Better games, better teams and a better mix of difficulty degree between them, and so far it looks like it has been an improvement.
I think it’s fair to say that this is brings us closer to a super league. It feels like more of a league format and all the weirdness of top 8 etc is just hackery around that.
I’ve absolutely no idea what’s going on, just assume we need to win until I’m told we don’t. It’ll get more exciting when we get back to knockout games as always.
I’ve absolutely no idea what’s going on, just assume we need to win until I’m told we don’t. It’ll get more exciting when we get back to knockout games as always.
Not sure about resistent to change stuff but as a format it has to be easy to understand and at end of each round, any fan would have a decent idea of what’s required for qualification.
Yes but feels like bigger spankings this time out. We had plenty of big games in old league format too.
Like I already said, the format is a half way house on many things and heavily diluted but overall not a great watch on so many things including scheduling. I used to watch a lot more CL games when was spread over 2 weeks and on one channel here, now no idea.
Plus I would imagine it’s made Europa league an even poorer comeptition as a knock on. No idea what nights that is on anymore.
Not sure that its closer to a super league as you have 32 teams from every category in Europe and no invites based on merit.
Its not rocket science though. Finish in the top 8 after 8 games and you dont play the first knock out round.
9th to 24th will play in that knock out round.
Halfway through our games we are 4 points ahead of 9th.
Its not rocket science though. Finish in the top 8 after 8 games and you dont play the first knock out round.
9th to 24th will play in that knock out round.
Halfway through our games we are 4 points ahead of 9th.
