The Champions League made its awaited return this week, with fans finally getting their first look at UEFA’s revamped 36-team competition after years of explainers and anticipation. Below, a collection of theScore’s soccer editors give their first impressions after seeing every team in action.
Do you like the new format?
Gordon Brunt: No. UEFA’s rejigged format could have negative consequences for club football’s most revered tournament. Opening Champions League fixtures don’t hold the same weight, as implications from games in September won’t become clear until January. The expanded format also risks tarnishing the allure of marquee matchups, with bigger teams playing each other more often. Blockbuster matches are great, but rematches of four of the last five finals in the opening round is excessive.
Gianluca Nesci: It’s … fine. More direct meetings between Europe’s top clubs is fun, even if the new “Swiss” system means all of them will likely advance to the knockout stage anyway. The obvious issue is fixture congestion, and the rationale behind it. This is a blatant cash grab that will make Europe’s biggest teams richer while doing nothing – or very little, at best – to address the growing disparity between the haves and have-nots. It’s a version of the hated Super League with better and more familiar branding. UEFA, unsurprisingly, cowed to the wealthiest clubs. Ilkay Gundogan knew it right away.
With all the Super League stuff going on… can we please also speak about the new Champions League format? More and more and more games, is no one thinking about us players?
The new UCL format is just the lesser of the two evils in comparison to the Super League…— Ilkay Gündogan (@IlkayGuendogan) April 22, 2021
Daniel Rouse: It seemed like the same teams were meeting each season in the group stage. It was getting repetitive. So, despite the league appearing rather hefty at 36 teams, the greater variety of matchups is welcomed. However, the major concern is that we’re already watching an increasingly diluted product due to the fatigue and injuries of overworked players, and the new Champions League format will only add to that issue.
Which team impressed you most?
Brunt: Bayer Leverkusen. If their first game is anything to go by, Leverkusen should breeze into the knockout stage. Xabi Alonso’s men left the Netherlands with a statement victory over a strong Feyenoord side, winning 4-0 to solidify their contender status. Last season’s invincible side – in Germany – was nearly unstoppable Thursday, as blossoming star Florian Wirtz recorded a game-deciding brace. It was the perfect way to begin its European campaign before winnable games against out-of-sorts AC Milan and Brest.
Nesci: Liverpool. Bayern Munich, Leverkusen, and Celtic all had more eye-popping results, but the circumstances around the Reds’ 3-1 win over AC Milan are worth highlighting. Criticized after their first loss under Arne Slot and then going behind in just the third minute at the San Siro, Liverpool regrouped and proceeded to methodically pick Milan apart. They outshot the hosts 23-8, and were it not for the crossbar, the margin of victory would have been much greater. This was a thorough shellacking.
Rouse: Sparta Prague. It’s unlikely that the Czech champions will reach the knockout rounds after a tough run of league phase matches, but don’t rule out more surprise results along the way. Back in the competition after a 19-year absence, Sparta Prague beat Red Bull Salzburg – managed by former Jurgen Klopp assistant Pep Lijnders – on Wednesday with a stylish yet disciplined 3-0 victory. It was a hugely impressive display by Lars Friis’ side.
Biggest overreaction to Matchday 1
Brunt: Anyone tipping Bayern as the team to beat needs to hit the brakes. Yes, signs of improvement under Vincent Kompany are clear. After a rare trophyless campaign last season, Bayern Munich are first in the Bundesliga and ended Matchday 1 of the Champions League atop the table after a 9-2 demolition of Dinamo Zagreb. But the new manager’s talented squad hasn’t been tested by a quality opponent yet. That’s about to change, as Bayern embark on a run of difficult games that will test their progress under the Belgian.
Nesci: I’ll go in a different direction and overreact to something directly. Manchester City looked unusually susceptible on the counter and very beatable on Wednesday. Inter Milan contained Erling Haaland about as well as you can and failed to capitalize on any of their several promising counterattacks. If Matteo Darmian didn’t freeze in front of goal, Inter could have come away from the Etihad with all three points instead of just one; what is it about being in Manchester that makes him play so poorly? City are held to the highest standards on the pitch, and rightfully so. This was far below their best.
Rouse: Back to pointing the finger, this time at those who think Aston Villa can go far in the competition. Time for some perspective: Unai Emery’s Villans beat Young Boys – who are rooted to the bottom of the Swiss Super League with three draws and three defeats – and they’ve won each of their three Premier League games via a one-goal margin concocted by super-sub Jhon Duran. It’s good to have them back in the Champions League, but much improvement is needed for Villa to get close to challenging for silverware.
Breakout star you want to see more of
Brunt: Michael Olise. Bayern Munich’s big summer signing didn’t disappoint on his Champions League debut. The German giants stormed out to a resounding win, with Olise recording a brace to open his Champions League account after joining from Crystal Palace. The 22-year-old winger isn’t quite a household name yet, but that will change if the France international continues to shine in Bayern’s star-studded attack.
Nesci: Maghnes Akliouche and George Ilenikhena are Monaco’s latest burgeoning stars, but I’ll take Kenan Yildiz here. Juventus put their trust in the 19-year-old Turkish sensation this summer, handing him the club’s vaunted No. 10 jersey. He rewarded that faith by making an immediate impact, scoring the first goal of this season’s competition with a spectacular curling effort that evoked memories of another No. 10, club icon Alessandro Del Piero. Yildiz’s beautiful strike saw him surpass the Italian legend as Juve’s youngest-ever scorer in the Champions League and put Europe on notice in the process.
Rouse: Endrick. The 18-year-old’s goal on his Champions League debut was slightly annoying. There was an easy pass to Vinicius Junior, who was likely to score from that position. The ball could’ve also been slipped between defenders to Kylian Mbappe, who would’ve almost definitely scored. Instead, Endrick slapped a speculative shot from nearly 30 yards that somehow squeezed inside the post. Still, that confidence puts him in good stead for the superstardom he’s widely tipped to enjoy.
Who is going to win it all?
Brunt: Manchester City. On paper, reigning champions Real Madrid should be even stronger this season. But, let’s be real, the Champions League is City’s to lose, especially if Haaland can score at even half the current rate of his record-breaking start to the Premier League season. Behind Haaland, who’s benefitted from a restful summer to score a preposterous nine goals in four league games, Pep Guardiola’s squad has more than enough talent and experience to make another run to the final.
Nesci: Paris Saint-Germain. Losing Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid and then, at long last, finally winning the trophy that has thus far eluded the club would be objectively hilarious. The irony can’t be overlooked. Sometimes you just have to root for chaos. PSG, though underwhelming in their opener against Girona, do look like a more cohesive unit this season under Luis Enrique, who has a clear style and system he’s implementing with his young, hungry group of rising stars.
Rouse: Real Madrid. Carlo Ancelotti’s lineup isn’t perfect. Despite all of the praise he receives, Antonio Rudiger can be overly impulsive and aggressive and, one day, that will surely cost his team on a major stage. The attacking balance also seems unresolved. But Los Blancos’ bewildering star power is certainly enough to push them over the line – and they’ve proved they can do it the ugly way during their six successes over the past 11 seasons.