This day always feels like the unofficial start of the season for me. The CL draw and the transfer deadline are always one right after the other. After that the nonsense ends and the real games begin. That’s not to forgive our first 2 performances but everything up ’til now feels like preseason.
First things first we have a new format for the CL this year. Instead of 8 groups of 4 (32 teams) we now have one big table and the addition of 4 clubs to the mix . That means one big 36 team table. Ready for some tie breakers folks? The next question is who do we play. Old rules we played home and away against 3 opponents for 6 group games. New rules say we will get drawn 8 opponents, 2 from each ‘pot’. Those games will be evenly split home and away.
From there the knockout stage will also look different. 24 of the 36 will advance with the top 8 getting byes and teams 9-24 facing each other in the first knock out round. From there on it will be the usual 2 legged knockouts the rest of the way ’til a one off final.
Got all that? There will be a quiz later. Prizes to be determined at a later date.
Champions League: League Phase Pots
Before we dive into Milan’s schedule of games let’s take a look at all the teams involved:
As you can see 36 teams is a LOT of teams with all kinds of combinations of opponents. No point in getting into all the different possibilities of who we can and can’t play. Let’s get straight to our opponents now that they’ve been drawn!
Draw
Liverpool - Pot 1
HOME TO LIVERPOOL Not the worst of draws. Liverpool are an aging squad with a new coach that may be in for a year of transition. Oldsters like Van Dijk and Salah are the standards while younger guys like Soboszlai and Gravenberch are breaking through. That doesn’t mean this will be an easy game by any stretch but I believe it’s a winnable game at home. RESULT: Could be anything.
Real Madrid - Pot 1
AWAY TO MADRID Best team on the planet. Just signed one of the best players on the planet. Defending Champions League Winners. Defending La Liga champions that lost 1 league game last year. Perhaps you’ve heard of them. RESULT: LOSS
Club Brugge - Pot 2
HOME TO BRUGGE Belgian football factory. Developed and sold CDK to us 2 summers ago. Traditionally a high pressing, high energy type squad. Perennially do well in Europe. Will not be intimidated coming into San Siro. RESULT: Probably needs to be a win.
Bayern Leverkusen - Pot 2
AWAY TO LEVERKUSEN A tough pull from Pot 2. Defending German Champs. German Cup Champs. German Super Cup champs. Only lost one game in the last calendar year. They return virtually the same team after making very few changes this summer. RESULT: Probably not a game we will win but certainly not a game we can’t win. 50/50.
Crvena Zvevda - Pot 3
HOME TO CRVENA ZVEZDA aka Red Star Belgrade. Best team on the planet 30 years ago. Not anymore though. RESULT: This has to be a win.
GNK Dinamo Zagreb - Pot 3
AWAY TO ZAGREB Played them 2 years ago in the CL and hammered them in each leg. Should be no reason to think that won’t happen again. RESULT: Win
Girona - Pot 4
HOME TO GIRONA Surprise 3rd place team in La Liga last year. One of the ever expanding number of teams in the Man City network. Made some moves this summer so hard to say if they are the same run and gun outfit this year or not. RESULT: No matter what they look like this year this game is at home so it needs to be a win.
Slovan Bratislava - Pot 4
AWAY TO BRATISLAVA Anything that sounds like something that would be a Tuesday Special at the local German Microbrewery better be a win, home or away. RESULT: Win.
Wrap Up
THERE IT IS FOLKS! Those are opponents. Times and dates aren’t official yet so the order of the schedule is still unknown. Bottom line here is to take care of business at home, I see 3 sure wins, and try to scrape some points on the road. My guess is 10-12 points is enough to qualify. Probably need 16+ points in order to get in the top 8 and therefore get a very important bye. Champions League is a long journey folks.
I’m ready for it. I hope Milan is too.
Forza Milan per sempre.
Lisi