2023-24 UEFA Champions League

Pretty much as tough a draw as the English clubs could have got. Including potentially playing each other in the semis.

Just thinking about next years competition. Would I be correct in saying that there will no longer be any advantage to being a seeded team? Basically since everyone has to play against the same numbers of teams from the different seeding groups then your own high or low seeding is actually irrelevant, in terms of an advantage/disadvantage.

It's so convoluted it doesn't seem like it will work at all. I'm not sure does anyone really know who it's going to work. I can see them chucking it out in a few years time due to fans not tuning in not knowing what's going on.

Personally, I'd have gone with a much different approach.

• Four groups of 14 (52 teams). Each team gets 13 games. No drop down to Europa League.
• Add in the 10 Domestic Cup winners of the top 10 league into the first round of the qualifiers (it is meant to be a champions league after all).
• All qualifier rounds and knockout rounds to be one match knockout games.
• Groups seeded with a top 7 and a bottom 7. Seeded sides have 3 home/3 away games against each other, and then for competition purposes each when the top 7 play the bottom 7, it's split on a 3 home/4 away basis. Minimum of 6 home games regardless.
• Top 6 sides of each group (24 teams) qualify for round of 32. Teams ranked 7-10 (16 teams) will play each other in a one match qualifier for the final 8 spots, home team determined by position in league phase (eg Team 7 in Group A would have home advantage against Team 10 from Group B).
• Round of 32 would see the four top ranked sides in the four groups get home advantage against the remaining teams, with winners moving to round of 16.
• Round of 16 onwards is played as an end of season knockout tournament that takes place in neighbouring countries over two weeks (for example Spain/Portugal nominate 8 stadiums to host 15 knockout games).
• Same format for Europa League and Conference League.

Straight forward, more games which is what the clubs wanted, more direct knockout football, less groups so more likely a few of the bigger leagues will face each other, home advantage to be gained by performance, and a knockout festival of straight knockout tournament football at the end. Simple.

It does come into it though...In that teams will be split into 4 groupings for the group draw based on their ranking

Now in the old system there was an advantage to being the top seed because that meant that you wouldn't have to play another top seed in your group. Similarly if you were bottom seed you couldn't draw another bottom seed. That will no longer be the case.

It looks like Madrid will have almost everybody back shortly.

So you've got

Courtois

Carvajal Militao Rudiger Camavinga

Valverde Kroos Modric

Rodrygo Bellingham Vinicious jr

Subs from: Lunin, Nacho, Mendy, Vazquez, Ceballos, Tchouameni, Diaz, Paz, Joselu

Who can beat that? Only one squad in my opinion and that's City.

Quarter-Final Draw

Arsenal FC (ENG) V FC Bayern München (GER)

Club Atlético de Madrid (ESP) V Borussia Dortmund (GER)

Real Madrid CF (ESP) V Manchester City FC (ENG)

Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) V FC Barcelona (ESP)

Semi-Final Draw

Club Atlético de Madrid (12/1)/Borussia Dortmund (22/1) V Paris Saint-Germain (8/1)/FC Barcelona (9/1)

Arsenal FC (7/2)/FC Bayern München (13/2) V Real Madrid CF (6/1)/Manchester City FC (7/4)

The top four favourites are all in the same half of the draw meaning a nice price if you can pick the one from the other 4 that makes the final.

I cannot believe that Arsenal are second favourites. I couldn't see them getting past the winners of the other QF, IF, they beat Bayern. You know Harry Kane is licking his lips for this tie, even if he is going to end up this season, as all the rest, trophy-less.

7/2 is very short price for Arsenal....... if they were evens in each tie it would be 7/1

Bit annoying for neutrals too, those are the best two games of the round, so it's annoying to have to pick between them. It is nice to have just a week between the ties though, keeps the jeopardy firmly in the air.

As I was saying, people are overestimating Atletico. They just lost 3-0 at home to Barcelona.

Are they early /late kick offs, or at the same time?