Final Champions League Group Stage Kicks Off with Man City Defending Title

Manchester City commences their Champions League title defense this Tuesday as the group stage commences in what marks the final season under the current format. Europe’s premier club competition is poised for a significant transformation, with the new-look Champions League, introduced by UEFA in 2021 amidst the backdrop of the Super League controversy, set to debut in the coming year.

It will see the number of clubs involved in the competition proper increase from 32 to 36, with all participants going into a single league in which teams will play eight games — up from the current six — in what is known as the “Swiss system”.

Hence, this marks the final campaign, concluding a two-decade era, where the Champions League commences with a group stage comprising eight sections, each with four teams, with the top two from each group progressing to the last 16.

“We are convinced that the chosen format strikes the right balance and will enhance competitive equilibrium,” stated Aleksander Ceferin, the president of UEFA, when the alterations to the Champions League were ratified in May of the previous year.

The format that is now phasing out was introduced for the 2003/04 season, ending an experiment with a second group stage. In terms of symmetry and simplicity, it is hard to surpass, with half of the teams advancing from the group stage to the last 16.

However, this era witnessed continuous expansion in the major clubs and international competitions. Additionally, there is a growing realization that the Champions League group stage has become somewhat stagnant.

The financial chasm between Europe’s most influential clubs and the rest continues to widen, especially with the distribution of prize money being contingent on a team’s position in UEFA’s club ranking. This means that the top-ranked team receives over 36 million euros ($38.4 million) simply for holding the highest rank, with the amount decreasing progressively so that the lowest-ranked team receives just over one million euros.

Even at this elite level, several teams essentially fill spots without making a significant impact, although they are well compensated.

It’s challenging to envision Swiss side Young Boys or Serbia’s Red Star Belgrade making a substantial impression alongside powerhouses like Pep Guardiola’s City and RB Leipzig in Group G. City is expected to advance comfortably to the last 16, likely amassing goals along the way, and they kick off as favorites to defend a title they secured in June by defeating Inter Milan 1-0 in the final in Istanbul.

This triumph marked City’s attainment of a goal they had pursued since the transformative Abu Dhabi-led takeover in 2008. “This project is about wanting more, more ambition,” stated Spanish midfielder Rodri after netting the winning goal for City in last season’s final.

So, who can challenge them?

It’s unlikely to be the champions of Switzerland or Serbia, or a Leipzig team that lost their star defender, Josko Gvardiol, to City during the summer transfer window.

Real Madrid, winners of the competition 14 times, are always strong contenders in the Champions League, although Carlo Ancelotti’s squad faces a challenging group alongside Napoli, Braga, and newcomers Union Berlin.

Bayern Munich has bolstered their attack with the acquisition of Harry Kane, while Paris Saint-Germain, despite losing Neymar and Lionel Messi, retained Kylian Mbappe and reinforced their squad.

Both of these clubs’ seasons will once again be defined by their performances in the Champions League.

Arsenal, making a return to the competition for the first time since 2016/17, will aim to make an impact. Additionally, Newcastle United, under Saudi ownership, has made a comeback to the Champions League after a two-decade absence. However, they find themselves in a group alongside PSG, AC Milan, and Borussia Dortmund.

If UEFA encountered more groups like that, they might have been less inclined to alter the Champions League format. Newcastle manager Eddie Howe expressed, “It’s tough and challenging, but I think there are some fantastic European games for us to experience and great places for our supporters to visit.” His team commences their campaign away against seven-time European champions Milan on Tuesday.