The Champions League marketing campaign has ended with a brand new winner of the trophy within the form of Paris St-Germain.
This season represented the competitors’s largest change of format because the group stage was launched within the 1991-92 season.
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Since then, the competitors has featured some mixture of teams of 4 groups, taking part in one another dwelling and away, earlier than a knockout stage (or straight remaining in 91-92 and 92-93).
This season, the expanded 36-team match noticed both sides play eight completely different groups – 4 at dwelling and 4 away – in a single huge league section.
It reached its climax on the finish of January earlier than the standard knockout phases received underneath method, however was it successful?
PSG would say so after lifting their maiden Champions League trophy in Munich having initially completed fifteenth within the league section and needing to progress by way of a play-off to succeed in the knockouts correct.
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‘It does not matter in case you do not make the highest eight’
Former Manchester Metropolis defender Nedum Onuoha was complimentary of the brand new format and believes it has been successful.
“I’ve loved it,” Onuoha advised BBC Sport. “There have been numerous good video games within the group stage and many huge moments, and never simply when the massive groups have performed one another both.
“The most important change for me was that groups solely performed one another as soon as within the league stage. It meant no-one lived or died by that consequence, and likewise the power from the lesser groups was very completely different to when groups knew they’d play one another once more in a couple of weeks’ time.
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“Aston Villa beating Bayern Munich was a superb instance. Bayern didn’t get a second likelihood in opposition to them, once they in all probability wouldn’t have slipped up once more – however they had been nonetheless in a position to claw again the factors they dropped.”
Eventual champions PSG misplaced three of their opening 5 video games, earlier than a late resurgence noticed them win their subsequent three matches to safe a play-off tie with fellow Ligue 1 aspect Brest.
After successful that, Luis Enrique’s aspect met Liverpool, the staff who completed high of the league section, within the final 16.
“Whereas PSG are clearly a top-quality aspect, their journey reveals that discovering type on the proper time is what issues,” added Onuoha. “They had been out of the highest 24 till they gained their penultimate recreation, after which received by means of the play-off stage.
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“That is one other factor I like concerning the format, as a result of PSG have proven that sooner or later, it does not matter in case you do not make the highest eight.”
Journalist Nicky Bandini made a superb level concerning the new format benefitting Luis Enrique’s aspect.
“With out this format, we’d perhaps not have seen this PSG staff that has developed throughout the season as a result of they may have gone out,” mentioned Bandini. “This fashion we get to see them progress, and it seems like a extra entertaining journey.
“At all times a lot within the Champions League has been about coming good on the proper time – it has all the time been about what’s your type like within the spring moderately than your type firstly of the match.
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“However I do assume with the additional video games this 12 months, and with the very particular journey we’ve seen PSG go on, you actually have been in a position to observe this improvement in actual time.”
Gianluigi Donnarumma was instrumental as PSG beat Liverpool on penalties within the final 16 [Getty Images]
Except for Liverpool’s early exit, the seeding system appeared to work with Barcelona (second), Arsenal (third) and Inter (fourth) all making not less than the semi-finals.
For Inter, a fourth-placed end meant they had been confronted with a beneficial tie with Feyenoord within the final 16 earlier than taking over Bayern Munich and Barcelona within the final eight and semi-finals.
Extra pleasure and jeopardy?
In contrast to earlier editions, the place many groups had already secured qualification or elimination earlier than the ultimate spherical, this 12 months’s league section delivered a much more unpredictable, thrilling, and emotionally charged conclusion.
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Going into the ultimate group video games final season, 13 groups had already secured qualification for the final 16.
However this time period, solely Liverpool and Barcelona had been assured a spot within the final 16 – gained by ending within the high eight locations within the league.
So with 27 groups nonetheless having one thing on the road an thrilling finale to the league section was anticipated.
The league section featured rematches of 4 of the final 5 Champions League finals with Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice saying: “Normally, you discover these video games within the quarter-finals or semi-finals.”
Manchester Metropolis had been the massive story of the league section with three factors wanted on the ultimate league section recreation to guide their spot in a play-off – the place they had been overwhelmed by Actual Madrid in an exciting contest.
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By making a format the place groups performed eight completely different opponents in a league stage that culminated with 64 objectives within the remaining 18 matches, Uefa decision-makers will maybe really feel they’ve countered recommendations that the earlier group stage could possibly be repetitive at instances, with huge names all the time progressing.
‘Each recreation counts’ or does it?
Uefa claimed the brand new format would guarantee each match has the potential to considerably impression a staff’s remaining standing. “Each recreation counts” was the exact wording used.
On one hand, solely two video games on matchday eight had been true lifeless rubbers – Younger Boys (thirty sixth) v Crvena zvezda (thirty second) and Sturm Graz (thirty third) v RB Leipzig (thirtieth). The opposite groups all had one thing to play for, even when that meant simply combating for place. If that’s taken in isolation, that could be a clear promoting level for this newest format.
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Alternatively, 9 groups had already been eradicated going into the ultimate matchday, with Shakhtar Donetsk additionally virtually out, needing to beat Borussia Dortmund and profit from an inconceivable five-goal swing to qualify.
With 24 of the 36 groups both qualifying for the final 16 straight from the league section or right into a play-off, real jeopardy was at a minimal. Manchester Metropolis made it by means of regardless of a run that noticed them lose three out of 4 video games.