REVIEW OF ROUND ONE OF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
The first round of the new Champions League has concluded, prompting an examination of the 36-team table and the significance of goal difference this season.
The competition has been expanded for the 2024-25 campaign, adopting a new format where teams face eight different opponents—four at home and four away—with all results incorporated into a single table.
The top eight teams advance directly to the round of 16, the bottom eight are eliminated from European competition until the following season, while the middle 16 will compete in playoffs to qualify for the more traditional knockout
With match day 1 completed, the winning teams occupy the top of the extensive table, with Bayern Munich leading after their 9-2 victory over Dinamo Zagreb, resulting in the Croatian side dismissing their coach.
Celtic follows closely behind with a 5-1 win against Slovan Bratislava, while Bayer Leverkusen defeated Feyenoord 4-0 this evening.
Some unexpected results emerged, including Barcelona’s 2-1 loss to AS Monaco, exacerbated by Eric Garcia’s red card just 11 minutes into the match.
Juventus remains the sole Italian team to have won, securing a 3-1 victory over PSV Eindhoven, while Inter drew 0-0 with Manchester City, Atalanta matched that result with Arsenal, and Bologna similarly ended in a stalemate against Shakhtar Donetsk.
Milan occupies the bottom position following their 3-1 home defeat to Liverpool.
Champions League table following match day 1:
Anyone finishing in 25th place or lower will be eliminated. Only one-third of teams advance after all participants have played eight games.
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According to Opta, securing 16 points from a possible 24 gives a 98% chance of finishing in the top eight. Obtaining ten points results in a 99% chance of finishing in the top 24, indicating that teams winning this week need only two more wins and a draw to have a chance at advancing to the last 16. Fifteen teams won their opening matches (resulting in 15 losses), with six clubs remaining at one point each. In summary, winning teams are more likely to advance. If you have lost. You still have a significant chance for advancement.
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Was it more competitive?
Significant upcoming matches include Arsenal vs. Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid vs. Borussia Dortmund, a rematch of last year’s final. Barcelona will face Bayern Munich in the next round of fixtures, despite last meeting in the group stage two years ago.
How did the British teams perform?
The five British clubs in the Champions League started robustly, securing three wins and two draws. Celtic defeated Slovan Bratislava 5-1, Aston Villa overcame Young Boys 3-0, and Liverpool triumphed 3-1 against AC Milan. Manchester City and Arsenal both finished their matches in goalless draws against Italian teams, Serie A champions Inter Milan and Europa League winners Atalanta, respectively.
Harry Kane scored four goals for Bayern Munich in their 9-2 victory over Dinamo Zagreb. That brings him halfway to last season’s Golden Boot total. Three other players scored two goals each, all representing German clubs: Borussia Dortmund’s England under-21 winger Jamie Gittens, Bayern’s Michael Olise, and Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz. The most notable impact in the first round of games came from Arsenal’s David Raya, who made a remarkable double save, including a penalty stop, to thwart Atalanta striker Mateo Retegui.
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Celtic scored five goals in a Champions League game for the first time, and Sparta Prague was the team most satisfied with their performances.
Sparta, in their first Champions League main draw match in 19 years, defeated Salzburg 3-0. French side Brest, making their debut in European competition, defeated Sturm Graz 2-1. Girona, in their first European game, narrowly missed a draw at Paris St-Germain due to an error that resulted in the only goal of the match.