It's a kinder format that leaves plenty to be decided on the final day. Smaller clubs will unquestionably advance to the direct elimination stages of the competition, where the stakes and pressure are higher. Upsets in the playoff round are likely to happen, with plenty of Davids getting a chance to dispatch any struggling Goliaths.

The UEFA Champions League is back and better than ever very different, as 36 teams play eight games — four home and four away — in bids to reach the knockout rounds. The schedule is longer, the table much bigger, and there are even Thursday games on ...

Follow text coverage and listen to live match commentary of Celtic's Champions League encounter with Club Brugge.

Malik Tillman scored a brace to bring PSV level, becoming the first U.S. player to score twice in a Champions League match. In the fifth minute of stoppage time, Ricardo Pepi scored the winner, sending the crowd at Phillips Stadium into a frenzy.

The UEFA Champions League is the most celebrated club tournament in the world, and has been won most-often by Real Madrid, who extended their own record tally by beating Borussia Dortmund at Wembley in 2024.

The league phase of the Uefa Champions League has reached its midway point and the first round of matches in second half concludes on 27 November. Catch all the action live on SuperSport (channel 199).