The first-ever group stage of the Champions League wrapped up yesterday, with all 18 stadiums in Europe concluding their matches simultaneously. UEFA’s new format has proven successful, creating exciting early-stage competition, though it added more games to the already packed schedule of teams. With the top eight teams, led by Liverpool and Barcelona, advancing directly to the quarter-finals, 16 others now enter the play-off stage to battle for a spot in the last 16.
In a key match, Manchester City secured a 2-1 victory over Club Brugge after being 1-0 down at halftime, avoiding elimination. They will face either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in the play-offs. AC Milan, who missed out on the top eight after a loss to Dinamo Zagreb, will compete in the playoffs, possibly facing Juventus. The biggest surprise in the top eight is Lille, who secured seventh place.
PSG secured a 4-1 win over Stuttgart, thanks to a hat-trick from Ousmane Dembélé, finishing in 15th place and setting up a meeting with either Monaco or Brest. England has emerged as a dominant force in the league stage, with three representatives in the top eight: Liverpool, Arsenal, and Aston Villa, ensuring that even fifth place in the Premier League could guarantee a Champions League spot next season.
The knockout stages will proceed with a structured draw, determining matchups based on teams' rankings in the league stage. Starting from the quarter-finals, teams will not face each other based on random draws, but rather on pre-determined routes. The knockout stages will kick off with the round of 16 in February, culminating in the final in Munich on May 31.
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