European football body Uefa hailed the "more dynamic" new format of the Champions League as a huge success after the first phase concluded on Wednesday while all of the continent's biggest clubs survived to reach the knockout stage. He was not referring to that particular game, one of 18 played simultaneously on the eighth and last matchday, a frenzied night which saw a total of 64 goals fly in around Europe, including one for Bellingham himself. It was rather a reference to the fact that the new format -— with all 36 clubs playing eight games against eight different opponents -— took some getting used to for every club, even the biggest fishes.
Madrid were themselves caught out as they lost three of their first five matches. Manchester City certainly faced jeopardy as the competition's winners in needed to win their last game at home to Club Brugge in order to avoid elimination, and found themselves down at halftime.
They came back to win to avoid humiliation and reach the knockout round play-offs, and Club Brugge also went through. Uefa introduced this new format to replace the group system which had been in place for two decades, doing so in response to the threat of a breakaway Super League involving a select band of giant clubs.
European football's governing body is now beating its chest about the success of the new format in "delivering on its promise to reinvigorate" a competition which had gone slightly stale in the group stage.
Only two clubs came into the final matchday having secured direct qualification for the last 16, without having to go through the play-offs. It has naturally been hailed by clubs who may have struggled under the previous system, most notably Brest, who finished 18th and have reached the play-offs in their debut European campaign. There was a lot of suspense. It gives a chance to the smaller teams like us," said Brest coach Eric Roy. Another French side, Lille, pulled off a remarkable performance to finish seventh and go directly into the last 16, beating Real and Atletico Madrid along the way.
