"But that's the way of the modern game: an extremely protracted clearing of the throat before the real business begins. Uefa will proudly tell the world that only six teams have nothing to play for in the final round of games on Wednesday, but whether it was worth 126 games to get to the mild peril of Napoli or Club Brugge possibly going out, or the questionable thrill of finding out whether Tottenham or Atalanta will have to endure the playoff round, is debatable."
"But Billy Munday and Michael Butler have put together this very useful guide to what the 36 teams (well, 32, as four of them are out) need to do tonight. Share Share Hello and welcome to live, goal-by-goal coverage of matchday eight in the Champions League. It's the last night of the league phase, which means all 36 teams are playing simultaneously and every football fan on planet earth has the phrase as it stands on their lips."
The Champions League group stage produced few memorable matches and felt like a prolonged prelude to the knockout rounds. The competition is in its second season under the Swiss model, with 36 teams competing in the league phase. Teams finishing in the top eight qualify directly for the round of 16. Teams placed ninth to 24th enter a playoff round, with the draw scheduled for Friday, while those ranked 25th to 36th are eliminated with no European parachute. The format creates complex permutations that leave some clubs in mild peril and many fixtures low-stakes.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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