The Champions League is like no other - all 18 matches of the 8th round start at the same time at 21 pm, and 27 of the 36 teams have something to fight for.
Everything that was not resolved before the last 90 minutes is the best confirmation that the new system of UEFA's elite was the right move.
In addition, perhaps the most important thing is the fact that some of the greats are still not sure of their positions, and some risk ending the competition after the first phase.
City's moment of truth
That is why the attention of the entire football public, in a sea of matches, will be particularly focused on the north of England, where the 2023 European champion is playing “for his life”, playing to avoid disaster. Of course, it is Manchester City who, in order to catch the last train with 24 passengers for the knockout stage, will have to defeat Club Brugge.
And while practically everyone expects the "citizens" to play their best match of the season tonight and eliminate their Belgian rivals without much difficulty, the coach of the English champion Pep Guardiola he warned about Bruges' form.
- I expect a tough opponent. When a team is 20 games unbeaten, that really shows how good they are. There are no secrets, I watched their games, I saw the reason why they played very well against Aston Villa, Juventus, Milan, Celtic, Genk and others - emphasized Guardiola.
Why is the position in the table important?
That the new system was the right decision by UEFA is highlighted by the fact that only three teams, out of the nine that were seeded in the August draw, are in the positions they planned, more precisely among the top eight that go directly to the round of 16, Liverpool, Barcelona and Inter.
The "Reds" and "Blaugrana" are the only ones calm before the last 90 minutes that they will remain among the eight, and tonight they will fight for first place - the team Arnea Alota as the only one with all wins, they are away at PSV, while Barça welcomes Atalanta.
If these two teams retain the top two positions in the table, it will be immediately clear that they will not be able to meet until the final in Munich, which explains why every position is important. For example, the third and fourth placed teams will also not be able to play against the aforementioned tandem before the semi-finals.
And all of that seems ideal for Liverpool and Barcelona, but the new format of the Champions League has meant that many of the favorites have finished the league stage in lower positions in the table, so it would not be a surprise if Bayern, Real, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City run into one of the top teams in the round of 16 or quarter-finals.
- This format forces us all to win. Before, there were enough draws and you would have passed the group of four teams, but now we have to win - he pointed out Diego Simeone, the coach of Atletico Madrid, who will try to preserve their place in the top eight against Salzburg away.
In the end, a better position also brings the return leg of a two-legged tie at home, something that can often be decisive. The Champions League with 18 games at the same time - everything is set for 90 minutes to remember.
Dinamo welcomes a great man and dreams
Of the teams from the region, Red Star bid farewell to the knockout stage even before the final round (in which Young Boys are playing), while Dinamo Zagreb dreams of another big European night.
"Blues" welcome the great Milan and are only interested in winning - the team Fabio Cannavaro They have eight points, two less than the closest teams in the playoff zone.
- We have to be excellent, and we will also have to suffer, to give our best, to take advantage of all the situations we will create. We are playing at home, we know it will be difficult, but we believe in ourselves and hope for the playoffs - Cannavaro emphasized.
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