25/26 CL Draw

[RedMagic]

We get Real Madrid again.

Chelsea are up next. They will play Barcelona (h), Bayern Munich (a), Benfica (h), Atalanta (a), Ajax (h), Napoli (a), Pafos (h) and Qarabag (a)

[RedMagic]

Here come Real Madrid:

They will take on Manchester City (home), Liverpool (away), Juventus (home), Benfica (away), Marseille (home), Olympiacos (away), Monaco (home), and Kairat Almaty (away)

[RedMagic]

Last term's semi-finalists Inter Milan will face:

Liverpool (home), Borrusia Dortmund (away), Arsenal (home), Atletico Madrid (away), Slavia Prague (home), Ajax (away), Kairat Almaty (home) and Union SG (away)

[RedMagic]

Borussia Dortmund will play:

Inter Milan (home), Manchester City (away), Villarreal (home), Juventus (away), Bodo/Glimt (home), Tottenham (away), Athletic Bilbao (home), Copenhagen (away).

[RedMagic]

Liverpool will play:

Real Madrid (home), Inter Milan (away), Atletico Madrid (home), Eintracht Frankfurt (away), PSV Eindhoven (home), Marseille (away), Qarabag (home) and Galatasaray (away)

Your thoughts on our draw? On TV and radio they are saying that's a tough draw. I'd say it could have been worse. Having the likes of both Madrid teams and Carrier bag at home rather than away is a good thing.

[RedMagic]

Barcelona will play:

Paris St-Germain (home), Chelsea (away), Eintracht Frankfurt (home), Club Brugge (away), Olympiacos (home), Slavia Prague (away), Copenhagen (home), Newcastle United (away)

[RedMagic]

Manchester City will play:

Borussia Dortmund (home), Real Madrid (away), Bayer Leverkusen (home), Villarreal (away), Napoli (home), Bodo/Glimt (away), Galatasaray (home) and Monaco (away).

[CCTV]

This new format supposedly makes for a more balanced set of fixtures. Who knows whether that's the case or not.

I'd like to see the mathematical claim.

• 8 games instead of 6.
• An element of luck of the draw in both formats.
• You get an odd pair of tiered/rated opponents, instead of a home & away fixture against 1 opponent of the same tier.
• You don't compete in a group playing the same teams, you compete in a league where you will not play the same opponents.

This new format offers less fairness overall.
And allows for more luck of the draw.

ESL was a better fix. 20 teams. 2 leagues of 10. Top 4 in both leagues qualify for Quarters, then Semis & Final.
Should have been copied at EL level. Europe's top 40 teams.
&
Conf league level could have had more teams than both with less games for more teams, who'd be naturally smaller.

European football needs more £nglish teams bringing the eye balls.

ESL would have made more money, providing more tickets to a game and more Elite level football throughout the season.

[RedMagic]

Paris St-Germain will play:

Bayern Munich (home), Barcelona (away), Atalanta (home), Bayer Leverkusen (away), Tottenham Hotspur (home), Sporting (away), Newcastle United (home) and Athletic Club (away).

[RedMagic]

Bayer Leverkusen will play:

Paris St-Germain (home), Manchester City (away), Villarreal (home), Benfica (away), PSV Eindhoven (home), Olympiacos (away), Newcastle (home) and Copenhagen (away).