The UEFA Champions League group stage came to an end Wednesday, and while much of the drama regarding which clubs were advancing to the knockout stage had already been sorted, there was one last twist that may have major ramifications.
Benfica’s 6–1 win over Maccabi Haifa could easily be one of those butterfly-effect moments that we look back on at the end of the season. By virtue of the rout, Benfica wound up edging out PSG for first place in their group on the seventh tiebreaker. Both clubs were 4-0-2 in the group, level on points atop the four-team table with 14, and after they played to a pair of 1–1 draws in their head-to-head matchups, it set off a run down the tiebreaker list that shifted to group-wide stats. But both each 16 goals scored and seven conceded total, which brought things to away goals scored in the group. Benfica had a 9–6 edge over PSG there, meaning João Mário’s strike in stoppage time was one of great consequence—at least in theory.
Then again, when the competition resumes, who knows what the landscape will look like? An in-season World Cup will surely take a toll emotionally, physically and mentally on the players involved—and especially those whose national teams embark on deep runs in Qatar. Beyond that, there’s a transfer window that may alter things, and any brilliant runs of form clubs are enjoying now—looking at you, Napoli—will need to effectively be resurrected or started from scratch after the club layoff of roughly six weeks.
