How can we really feel concerning the revamped UEFA Champions League format now?
The primary Matchday 8 in competitors historical past was already unprecedented, with all 36 groups in motion on Wednesday and loads of spots — each within the spherical of 16 and within the two-leg playoffs that may resolve which golf equipment will be part of these already certified for that stage.
The motion within the 18 video games throughout Europe, which had been all contested concurrently, was worthy of the stakes.
Listed below are the three largest takeaways from Wednesday’s jam-packed slate of video games.
Liverpool finishes on prime regardless of struggling its first defeat
Having already punched their ticket to the final 16, Liverpool supervisor Arne Slot rested virtually all of his ordinary starters for Wednesday’s journey to PSV Eindhoven. The transfer was comprehensible however dangerous; not solely did it put the Reds’ excellent file by way of the primary spherical in jeopardy, however first place within the standings, too.
Ultimately, Slot’s gamble paid off. Positive, Liverpool dropped factors for the primary time in Champions League play this season, with U.S. males’s nationwide crew striker Ricardo Pepi scoring the winner for PSV simply earlier than halftime after the hosts had trailed twice earlier.
However Liverpool stays the highest seed due to Barcelona’s failure to beat Italian facet Atalanta at dwelling. After going 7-0 by way of their first seven video games, it is onerous to counsel that the Reds do not need to be the favorites heading into the enterprise finish of the event. That is no small achievement for the English Premier League leaders.
As for PSV, whereas the Dutch masters had been already virtually assured a playoff spot earlier than Wednesday’s match, topping the No. 1 seed must be a confidence-booster. The identical goes for Pepi, who additionally had an help and who proved on the most important stage in membership soccer that he is greater than able to main the road for considered one of Europe’s 15 greatest sides.
Manchester Metropolis (finally) takes care of enterprise
Maybe the most important story line heading into the ultimate spherical of fixtures was the destiny of the 2023 Champions League winners and four-time defending Prem champs. A dreadful run of kind in each competitions during the last two months had Metropolis within the elimination locations when the whistle blew in opposition to Membership Brugge, although they knew a win at dwelling over the Belgians can be sufficient to outlive and advance.
By slowly popping out of their funk in latest weeks, Pep Guardiola needed to just like the Sky Blues’ probabilities of taking all three factors over — let’s be actual — an inferior foe, even one as spectacular as Brugge (which had already booked a playoff place) has been all through the league section.
Falling behind to the guests early within the first half definitely wasn’t within the script. And given the way in which their season has largely, inexplicably gone off the rails, Cityzens followers in all probability anticipated the worst. As a substitute, the hosts’ all-planet high quality shone by way of, although the personal aim by Brugge defender Joel Ordóñez that put them forward for good simply after the hour mark helped. Savinho made it 3-1 earlier than it was over, vaulting Metropolis into twenty second place — simply two spots forward of the cutoff.
That is clearly not acceptable for one of many main golf equipment within the sport. Guardiola will nonetheless little doubt take it, particularly over the choice. No crew will wish to face Metropolis within the playoffs or past. And with a fifth straight English crown properly out of attain, the enduring supervisor can now rally his troops round lifting probably the most coveted trophy within the membership recreation for simply the second time in Metropolis’s historical past. What a terrifying prospect for the remainder of the sector.
A fantastic day for England’s different groups, too
Arsenal and Aston Villa additionally gained on Wednesday — at Girona and in opposition to Celtic, respectively — to make it three Premier League groups within the prime eight. Solely Spain (Barcelona, Atlético Madrid) has a couple of. The opposite groups robotically within the spherical of 16 are Italy’s Inter Milan, France’s Lille and Bayer Leverkusen of Germany.
The 16-team playoffs are positive to be intriguing, too. There’s loads of star energy there, not the least of which belongs to Metropolis and final yr’s titlist (and file 15-time winner) Actual Madrid. 9 different former European champions now additionally face a two-leg take a look at for the proper to contest a spot within the quarterfinals, together with model names like AC Milan, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Juventus.
Doug McIntyre is a soccer author for FOX Sports activities who has coated the United States males’s and ladies’s nationwide groups at FIFA World Cups on 5 continents. Comply with him at @ByDougMcIntyre.
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