THE new-look Champions League begins with Liverpool meeting AC Milan in the San Siro and Aston Villa at Switzerland’s Young Boys.
SunSport explains how it now works:
Uefa agreed to expand the Champions League from 32 teams to 36 and scrap the long-standing group stage.
Instead, all teams will play eight matches in the initial stage as part of a single 36-team league competition.
Unlike in previous seasons, where the group games were completed before Christmas, the league stage will now run through to the end of January.
This week’s games will be split over three nights before the next six match days are played on just Tuesdays and Wednesdays, with two matches on each day starting at 5.45pm and the rest at 8pm.
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But the final set of 18 matches will be played simultaneously with an 8pm kick-off on January 29.
After eight matches, the top eight sides in the table will automatically go through to the last 16.
The teams ranked from ninth to 24th will play off over two legs to join them. The bottom eight clubs are out of Europe and teams no longer drop into the Europa League.
Uefa had previously drawn the knock-out games at each stage but now a Wimbledon-style seeded draw will be conducted after the league stage meaning the top two sides in the initial table cannot meet until the final.
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Owen Hargreaves Season Predictions
HARGREAVES ON BELLINGHAM
“I SAW the Super Cup and Jude Bellingham played the best game of his life.
“He’s playing a bit more in his natural position, a little bit deeper. He’s the perfect midfield player.
“Jude is just going to get better and better with Kylian Mbappe and Endrick.
“I know a lot of people have not seen much of Endrick but to go with him and Rodrygo, Valverde, Modric, Courtois and Alaba, Rudiger, Carvajal . . .
“That is some collection of players, it’s amazing.”
HARGREAVES ON CHAMPIONS LEAGUE DARK HORSES
“PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN, just in the way Luis Enrique plays. He plays such aggressive football and they’ve got so many really good ball players.
“I’m happy to see they’re focused on young French players. That’s probably what they should have done long ago.
“Inter are really good. They’ve got a clear identity to how they play under Simone Inzaghi.
“Marcus Thuram came on a free, it’s amazing no one else picked him up.
“They’re not the most offensive team but often those teams do really well in the Champions League.
“They don’t make mistakes in silly moments.”
HARGREAVES ON PREM CONTENDERS
“MANCHESTER CITY have the best squad and they’re using four centre-backs so defensively they’re a bit more stable.
“Arsenal need a little bit more experience in the Champions League.
“To win the Champions League might take a little bit more time in the transfer windows. But they’re going to win trophies, it’s a question of when.
“Liverpool have crazy firepower. Federico Chiesa is an amazing player and he’ll suit the Premier League because he’s crazy explosive.
“I’m excited for Aston Villa as Villa Park is going to be one of the best atmospheres in Europe this season.”
HARGREAVES ON PLAYERS TO WATCH OUT FOR
“MICHAEL OLISE is going to be great at Bayern Munich.
“Playing at Crystal Palace he probably didn’t get the notoriety he deserved but he’s such a good finisher and technically really good.
“Endrick at Real Madrid is cool because people don’t know a lot about him. He’s still so young but he’s just got it.
“Florian Wirtz at Bayer Leverkusen is an amazing player with a really unique style. His numbers from last season were crazy.
“As a young kid, putting himself in the Ballon d’Or conversation is rare. He’ll be playing at Real Madrid or Man City in a couple of years.
Prem clubs can meet each other at any point in the knock-out stage of the competition.
Champions League newcomers Aston Villa get their campaign underway against Young Boys on Tuesday.
While Manchester City meet Inter Milan on Wednesday and Arsenal face a trip to Atalanta on Thursday.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
