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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Nick Ames

A night of high stakes for Europe’s big guns, but is the new format a success?

A view of the inside of the tunnel, as Champions League branding can be seen, prior to the Champions League match between Real Madrid and Salzburg at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.
Real Madrid, who view a spot among the Champions League pacesetters as their birthright, are certain to be bogged down in the extra playoff round, in the new Swiss system introduced this season. Photograph: Aitor Alcalde/Uefa/Getty Images

The level of chaos expected in the final round of European “league phase” fixtures can be summed up by the fact Uefa officials have been directing clubs to a simulator that helps them make sense of the permutations affecting their team. They will also be able to monitor changes to their prospects in real time.

Nothing like Wednesday night’s Champions League denouement, when 18 games will take place simultaneously in a dramatic scramble for progress to the knockouts, has been seen before and the challenges are obvious. Swiftly communicating the implications of sudden swings in a densely packed table may tax the ablest of mathematical brains.

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