So much for the idea that English teams would take control of European football.
The final round of the Champions League group stage ended with only two of four Premier League teams advancing after the elimination of Manchester United and Newcastle — which even left out of the Europa League.
Instead, Spain resurfaced and the German contingent had a decent contingent and a couple of surprises that sneaked into the round of 16 with Copenhagen and PSV Eindhoven.
This is the last year the competition will have 32 teams with eight groups. Next season UEFA will switch to a 36-team league format in which all clubs will play eight games — two more than currently. The best eight will advance to the round of 16 automatically and those who finished between ninth and 24th will go to a playoff to decide the remaining eight.
So what did we learn ahead of Monday’s round of 16 draw?
ENGLAND IN DIRT
There will be some smiles in Europe after the blow dealt to English clubs at a time when the Premier League appears unbeatable thanks to the profits generated by big broadcast contracts. Only defending champion Manchester City and Arsenal advanced through what will be England’s weakest round of 16 in 11 years.
It is a blow for a country that has had six of the last 10 finalists and three of the last five champions.
SPANISH WAVE
Of the eight group winners – Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Real Madrid, Real Sociedad, Atletico de Madrid, Dortmund, Man City and Barcelona – four are Spanish. It was expected that Madrid and possibly Barça and Atlético would win their group, but the emergence of Real Sociedad with local players and a coach is a pleasant surprise for romantics who like to see newcomers succeed.
In their first Champions League in a decade, Sociedad did not lose and conceded just two goals. Barcelona are back to their best form after failing to get past the group stage in their first two years without Lionel Messi. Madrid, led by Jude Bellingham, was one of two teams – along with City – that had the maximum 18 points in the group stage. Atlético didn’t lose either.
But Germany undoubtedly had its best performance, with Bayern and Dortmund winning their groups and Leipzig finishing second behind City.
SURPRISE
PSV, champion in 1988 and leader of the Eredivisie, will play in the round of 16 for the first time since 2016. Their only defeat in 26 games was the 4-0 win by Arsenal in the first game of the Champions League.
The last time Copenhagen played in the last 16 was in 2011. The Danish champions eliminated United and have been boosted by their passionate home fans at the Parken Stadium.
WIDE GAP
Adapting to the demands of the Champions League is difficult even for well-funded teams. Newcastle and Lens returned after decades away and Union Berlin made their debut in the tournament. They achieved a total of three wins in 18 games and only Lens will remain in the Europa League in February.
A schedule with two games a week affected them. Newcastle and Lens are seventh and Union 15th in their leagues. This compared to the leaders in their countries, Liverpool, Bayern Leverkusen and Girona — who have no Champions League commitments.
Being out of the top European competition helps them fight for the title they need to return to the Champions League.
2023-12-14 16:08:55
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