Liverpool’s current campaign looks over after this 1-1 draw. It needn’t be this way.
The Champions League group stage is utter dross. The occasional shock result only goes to highlight how ineffective it is: The ‘minnow’ that inflicts the shock is invariably done over in the return or lose points at the hands of other teams, making their heroics essentially meaningless. The result is that I and many more armchair punters switch off until we get past this meaningless part of the tournament
What many yearn for is a return to a champs only, straight two-legged knockout European Cup. That will never happen for obvious reasons, but what is possible is a compromise that embraces the spirit of the old competition with the money lust of the modern format. Indeed, my suggestion would require little more than a tweak of the group format but would mean that even Liverpool, with their peerlessly piss poor record in Europe this year, would have everything to play for. Let me explain…
Liverpool: utter rubbish
Would all Liverpool fans still want a big chance of getting out of this group? Of course they would. At the moment and with the current format it looks hopeless. With a small change to the way the group is decided, it could look so different. Let me lay it out. Firstly, here are UEFA’s current rules on the group stage:
‘The top two teams from each UEFA Champions League group go into the first knockout round in the spring, with the third-placed clubs to enter the UEFA Europa League Round of 32.
If two or more teams are level on points they are split by (a) higher number of points obtained in the group matches played among the teams in question, (b) superior goal difference from the group matches played among the teams in question (c) higher number of goals scored away from home the group matches played among the teams in question (d) superior goal difference from all matches played, (e) higher number of goals scored, (f) higher number of coefficient points accumulated by the club in question, as well as their association, over the previous five seasons.’
Fairly conventional, I think you’ll agree. Also producing very dull football.
My suggestion would be that, rather than having six fairly unconnected group games, a team would instead play three two-legged ties. You win the tie over two legs, you get a point. So, after four games, Liverpool would have lost their tie against Lyon (who have one point), would be 1-0 up in their tie against Debrecen and 2-0 down against Fiorentina (who are also on 1 point after their 9-5 aggregate win over Debrecen). Either Fiorentina or Lyon would currently be favourite to take the group as they are still in a position to win all their ties, but both Liverpool or Debrecen could still qualify if they were able to win both of their remaining two-legged ties.
Does this sound as simple to you as it does to me? Would this make every group game meaningful? Would it return some of the tension about conceding goals at home and also increase the incentive to try and grab a goal away from home even when you’re trailing 4-0?
Let me know what you think.
Hmm – I’m not so sure – while there is an argument that it will liven up the dead rubbers, it will stifle attacking play as an away goal will have a bigger impact than it currently does (Now if a team wins 2-1 at home and loses 1-0 away it has three points and 0 goal difference – under your system, that team would have 0 points). Rather than enticing teams to attack so as to score more than the opposition, you are likely to see an increase in defensive football, especially in the 1st legs.
Good point Snoop, although I like the intensity of the first leg, that’s what makes the later knockout stages so much better. Thanks for your input, it’s good to get other points of view before I propose this to UEFA.