Former Manchester Metropolis defender Nedum Onuoha was complimentary of the brand new format and believes it has been a hit.
“I’ve loved it,” Onuoha informed BBC Sport. “There have been a number of good video games within the group stage and many huge moments, and never simply when the massive groups have performed one another both.
“The most important change for me was that groups solely performed one another as soon as within the league stage. It meant no-one lived or died by that consequence, and in addition the vitality from the lesser groups was very totally different to when groups knew they’d play one another once more in just a few weeks’ time.
“Aston Villa beating Bayern Munich was a very good instance. Bayern didn’t get a second probability in opposition to them, once they in all probability wouldn’t have slipped up once more – however they had been nonetheless in a position to claw again the factors they dropped.”
Eventual champions PSG misplaced three of their opening 5 video games, earlier than a late resurgence noticed them win their subsequent three matches to safe a play-off tie with fellow Ligue 1 facet Brest.
After profitable that, Luis Enrique’s facet met Liverpool, the workforce who completed high of the league section, within the final 16.
“Whereas PSG are clearly a top-quality facet, their journey exhibits that discovering kind on the proper time is what issues,” added Onuoha. “They had been out of the highest 24 till they received their penultimate sport, after which acquired by the play-off stage.
“That is one other factor I like concerning the format, as a result of PSG have proven that sooner or later, it does not matter in case you do not make the highest eight.”
Journalist Nicky Bandini made a superb level concerning the new format benefitting Luis Enrique’s facet.
“With out this format, we might possibly not have seen this PSG workforce that has developed through the season as a result of they may have gone out,” stated Bandini. “This manner we get to see them progress, and it looks like a extra entertaining journey.
“At all times a lot within the Champions League has been about coming good on the proper time – it has at all times been about what’s your kind like within the spring fairly than your kind at first of the event.
“However I do assume with the additional video games this 12 months, and with the very particular journey we have now seen PSG go on, you actually have been in a position to observe this improvement in actual time.”
