UEFA Champions League

Each team will play eight matches against eight different clubs, four at home and four away. The teams each club plays will be selected from four seeded pots (based on ranking) with two opponents being drawn from each – with one home game and one away game per pot.

This is a departure from the former group-stage format, in which teams played against the three other teams in their group twice (one home and one away game per opponent).

not a huge fan, but had to accommodate for 4 more teams entering play.

There was a level of excitement when a team would play its 3 group games home/away. Plus, for the traveling fan, made it easier to plan.

2 additional midweek games added ( was 6 in group play, now 8 ) which, if a CL team has a big weekend match-up, you may not see the best 11 out there.

At least they kept the knockout round home/away