So there we have it. After five gruelling months and 144 games, including 18 in one night on Wednesday, the inaugural Champions League league phase is finally over.
The final matchday certainly delivered on the entertainment front, with 64 goals smashed in, including five in Liverpool’s clash with PSV in Eindhoven, six in Aston Villa’s home win over Celtic, and seven in Lille’s demolition of Feyenoord. “It was a little bit chaotic at times because there were goals going in everywhere,” former Rangers striker Ally McCoist said on TNT Sports. “I don’t think I would be able to watch just the one game in my house, on my sofa, ever again. It was sensational.”
It’s difficult to argue with that assessment, but the journey beforehand was a real slog. We still have another 16 games to get through before the round of 16, too, with the play-off knockout round set to be played in mid-February.
Liverpool, Barcelona, Arsenal, Inter, Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Lille and Villa don’t have to worry about that; they are automatically through after finishing in the top eight. But a host of other huge clubs underperformed as the overall competitiveness levels on the elite European stage dropped significantly.
The argument over whether the new format can be considered an immediate success will very much depend on allegiances, and with that in mind, GOAL brings you the winners and losers from the 2024-25 league phase…