Starting with the upcoming season, the Champions League will adopt a new format that will provide us with an innovative approach to interpreting the competition’s customary drawings. Sky Sports reports that a computer will now be used in the hybrid draw. This is because the draw will require 900 balls and three to four hours to complete under the new structure if it is carried out in the same manner as it has always been. This is why there will be a change in the procedure. Clubs will first be picked by hand, and from the 36 teams, a computer will identify their eight league rivals. According to UEFA, in order to prevent claims of draw manipulation, the automatic aspects will still be subject to independent verification.
As a result, the full process will take roughly 35 minutes.
A software developer based in England is developing the program that will handle the digital portion of the competition. Two backup software systems will also be present, and an audit of the draw will be conducted.
Another important thing to note is that the two teams who place first and second in the standings after the first phase will not be able to face each other until the final, with the first team drawn into one half of the 1/8-finals draw and the second team drawn into the other. The top four teams cannot play each other until the semifinals, according to this rule. The idea is to encourage teams to strive for the top league rating instead of just finishing in the top eight of the standings. Both the Conference League and the Europa League will follow the same format.
Inter, the Champions League finalists from the previous year, will get another chance to win the trophy. However, the Nerazzurri are already facing a formidable foe at the eighth-final stage, one that they hold a goal lead over thanks to their Milan home game. Inter won 1-0 on February 20 thanks to a late goal from Marko Arnautovic, but the outcome could have and should have been far more decisive. “In response, the ‘Dusekci’ fired seven bullets, but none of them were precise. It’s interesting to note that Inter is still the favorite to triumph in Madrid, but this makes sense considering the opponents’ patchy play.
Without a doubt, Atletico Madrid is not in a position to compete with the best in Europe. In nine official matches across all tournaments since February, the team has only managed two victories and has given up as many as five losses. The final one caught me off guard. After losing 0:2 on the road to Cadiz in La Liga on Saturday, Atletico currently leads Athletic Bilbao by just two points in the race for fourth place.
Conversely, Inter maintained their incredible performance and won everything. The Nerazzurri are the team in the major divisions with the longest winning run, having won thirteen games in a row across all competitions. With Milan in second place and 16 points behind, winning the Serie A title appears to be a formality at this stage. Inter defeated Bologna 1-0 away over the weekend.
The acts on and off the field demonstrate that the collective in the squad of Italy’s potential champion is at the greatest level. Although I don’t think things will change today, Diego Simeone has quality in his squad, which is sufficient to defeat any team in a perfect game. The difference is only one goal. That won’t happen, in my opinion, and I’m more likely to believe that Inzaghi will once again be able to trick his opponent in the coaching duel thanks to his cunning football and strong defensive play.
Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid is recognized for playing more aggressive football, and players frequently show off their nervousness on the field. In a game that is not going their way, I fully anticipate that happening today. The Dushechi received four yellow cards in Italy, and during the weekend versus Cadiz, we saw five. A swift transition from defense to attack will be crucial for their opponent, even if we rule out any possibility of a host’s loss of control. The presence of additional offensive lines will compel Atletico’s players to commit tactical infractions.
Borussia Dortmund and PSV are not considered favorites to win the Champions League trophy and will be overwhelming underdogs in the upcoming round, but their pairing in the eighth final is intriguing. For one of them, getting through this round would be a success, and their prospects seem equal. The first encounter in Aindhoven ended in a draw when the hosts equalized in the 56th minute with a penalty kick. Despite being the more aggressive team on the field, the Dortmund visitors emerged from the event with a respectable finish.
As with PSV in February, Borussia has a small advantage in the rematch in terms of odds. Of the two teams in the tournament, the Germans undoubtedly have more experience; after all, don’t forget how they triumphed in the group of death in the fall. They have now gone seven games without losing as the home team in the Champions League. But in 39 games this season, PSV has only allowed two losses, one of which came against Arsenal in London during the group stage.
Dortmund enters today’s game having won two straight Bundesliga games, keeping them in the Top 4, though only one point clear of RB Leipzig in fifth place. Both the opposition and the triumphs over Werder and Union Berlin in these matches were difficult. However, PSV only defeated G.A. Eagles 1-0 on the road over the weekend, and they still lead Feyenoord by ten points at the top of the rankings.
Before the second leg in Dortmund, this partnership looked like it might be the most complicated of the eight eighth-final pairings. Yes, there is a favorite in this matchup, but PSV has the advantage because of their winning record in the Eridivisie and their ability to concentrate solely on this matchup.
Although a scoreless encounter is anticipated by Champions League Tips, given the tie in Eindhoven one week ago, I anticipate a tactical confrontation. Dortmund will almost certainly be hunting for a goal from the locker room, but I predict that their pressure will soon be released and the game will pick up an even and evenly matched pace, which will cause the first goal of the match to be delayed.
Arsenal, who leads the Premier League, will be hoping to overcome Porto at the Emirates in their rematch of the Champions League 1/8 finals. Arsenal will be motivated by their victory in England. “The Gunners need to overcome a one-goal deficit following their three-week defeat at Estadio do Dragao with an injury-time goal in the final seconds.
Considering how well the ‘Ballers’ have been playing in the Premier League since the beginning of 2024, Mikel Arteta’s team was expecting a more productive encounter than the one they played in Portugal. Arsenal players did not manage to make a single clean shot during this game.”In their last seven tournament appearances, the Gunners have been eliminated in the 1/8-finals; if they hope to end this run, they must return to their goal-scoring ways. Only once in the last 10 CL matches, has Arsenal prevailed after losing the first leg. But that was back in the 2009–10 campaign, against Porto. Back then, the Londoners lost the first leg by a score of 1:2, destroyed the Dragons in the second leg by a score of 5:0, and ultimately participated in the tournament’s quarterfinals.
So far, Porto has not been able to win any of their 22 away games in England. In addition, the Dragons, who are now in third position in the Portuguese Championship, have not even managed to score a goal in their last three losses at the Emirates. In those games, the goal differential was 11-0.
This season, Arsenal has won all three of its home games in the Champions League group stage by a total score of 12-0. Conversely, Porto has gone six games in a row without losing in every tournament.
Takehiro Tomiyasu and Gabriel Martinelli are still questionable for the rematch, and Julien Timber is still recuperating from a terrible injury he sustained early in the season. Zaidou Sanusi and Ivan Marcano are headed for Porto. Mehdi Taremi is scheduled to play in the Emirates match after missing the first leg due to injury.
