Champions League prepares for final feast after Uefa reforms hit the mark

The Champions League and Europa League reform drew criticism because it added to an already packed calendar, yet the European competitions' league phase finale is set to be a memorable blockbuster next week.

After seven rounds, only two teams - Liverpool and Barcelona - have secured direct access to the last 16 in the Champions League while Lazio are the only side having claimed their spot in the Europa League knockout phase.

In the Champions League, 25 of the 36 teams are still awaiting their fate, including powerhouses Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Manchester City, the latter being in the elimination zone ahead of Wednesday's home game against Club Brugge.

One matchday to go! 😲#UCL pic.twitter.com/jEYfEM9kTC

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) January 22, 2025

The idea that the new format was giving an easy pass to the knockout phase to the big sides has been brushed aside with Juventus and Paris St Germain beyond the top 16.

The first eight teams qualify directly for the last 16 with the eight remaining spots being decided in playoffs to add some more drama.

"Too many games, too many games," former France international and CBS pundit Thierry Henry said last September.

"What a beautiful format, it's a real treat," his Canal Plus counterpart and former Tottenham Hotspur great David Ginola said after PSG beat City 4-2 on Wednesday, setting the stage for a nail-biting finish for both sides.

The draw, with teams also facing sides from their own pot, meant that some top clubs played each other as early as the initial phase, as Liverpool manager Arne Slot noted.

"If I look at Paris St Germain, every week I think they have the hardest team to face, so they are quite low on the table, which is not their quality, but they are low," Slot said.

The previous format, with four teams in each group and the top two advancing into the knockout phase, was a quasi-guarantee for the privileged and featured numerous dead rubbers on the final day.

It will not be the case this year, with only Sturm Graz v RB Leipzig and Young Boys v Red Star Belgrade the only encounters with nothing at stake in the Champions League, just like in the Europa League, with Dynamo Kyiv v Rigas FS and Slavia Prague v Malmo the two dead rubbers on Thursday.