Goal Frenzy: Unpacking the New Champions League Format

The inaugural 36-team Champions League league phase concluded with significant changes. More games and goals characterized the tournament, with 144 matches being played. Barcelona excelled with the most goals, while no team from Eastern Europe reached the knockout stages. An intense competition revealed emerging trends and challenges.

The curtain has fallen on the inaugural 36-team league phase of the Champions League. This new format saw a total of 144 games played, a significant increase from the 96 matches in the previous 32-team group format.

Goals poured in at an average of 3.27 per game, a noticeable rise from the 3.09 average last year. The competition's top scorers, Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski and Borussia Dortmund's Serhou Guirassy, each netted nine goals.

Despite Barcelona's dominance, with 28 goals, no team from Eastern Europe made it to the knockout stage. All participating clubs from Croatia, Czech Republic, Serbia, Slovakia, and Ukraine fell short, a continuation of the trend since 2017-18.

(With inputs from agencies.)