Last night, as Aston Villa put the ball in the net for the second time in the first half against Young Boys in the Champions League, someone emailed me with a question: Is that a good result or a bad result for us in our group?
It’s a fair question, but also a strange one, because we’re not dealing with a normal Champions League setup anymore. This new format is going to drive people crazy, and although that result might seem important, the impact on Celtic is a lot more subtle than you might think.
The person who emailed me is looking at Young Boys and Villa and thinking, “This result must impact us since we’ll be playing both teams.” But it’s not that simple anymore. And yet, in some ways, it is that simple. Welcome to the strange new reality of the Champions League, where everything and nothing seem to matter simultaneously.
First, let me explain why the result doesn’t affect us directly, even though it feels like it should. In previous years, we’d be in a traditional group, and these results would directly influence our standing. But now, we’re in a wider pool with all the other teams that qualified for the competition. The scoreline in Villa vs. Young Boys doesn’t matter in the way it used to. Sure, one team gets three points and the other none, but we’re not in a closed group with them.
That’s what makes this new format so tricky to wrap your head around. We’re going to play both these teams at a later stage, but their match result doesn’t have the immediate, tangible impact on us that traditional group games did. Meanwhile, at the same time as Villa’s game, Juventus was playing PSV, also going in two up at halftime. And that result? It affects us in exactly the same way as the Villa game. Everything feels disconnected and connected all at once.
I’ve got a slight advantage in understanding this new system, thanks to my hours spent on Football Manager, where I’ve already war-gamed this scenario. I’ve seen how this league table is going to look messy and confusing for most of the time, with the real shake-up not coming until the final matches. It’ll make for more exciting football, sure, but it’s going to frustrate a lot of fans who are used to a more straightforward format.
The person who emailed me was likely asking about Villa vs. Young Boys because of the instinct to see those two sides as part of our mini-league. We’re playing them, so naturally, their result must matter, right? But the truth is, the only results that truly impact us are our own.
Winning points is now more crucial than ever, because each match carries more weight, not just in our small bubble, but in the overall standings. And that’s a shift in thinking that’s going to take some getting used to.
Last night’s game taught us a few things, though. Young Boys are vulnerable at the back, and Villa will be tough to keep out, especially on their home turf. These lessons matter, because there are no throwaway games in this tournament anymore and we have to hoover up every bit of info on our potential opponents as we can get.
But every team that wins points or scores goals can shift the standings and overtake us. That’s why paying attention to all the matches, even if they don’t seem to directly affect us, is crucial.
But at the end of the day, the result that matters most is the one at Celtic Park tonight. We’ll need to approach this new Champions League format with a fresh mindset, but the fundamentals remain the same. Points on the board, as quickly as possible, and as many as possible.
People will debate how many points we need to aim for, but I still believe 15 points is achievable. If we hit that target, we’ll be in with a real shot.
It’s going to be a long and unpredictable Champions League season, but we’ve got the tools to navigate it. Our focus should be on winning our matches, controlling our own destiny, and letting the rest of the results fall where they may.
The new format will take a bit of getting your head round. I think there will be fewer dead rubbers, where in the final round(s) of a closed section, 2 teams with no chance of progressing play each other, or the runaway winner comes up against the already eliminated whipping boys. In this new format, every point and every goal will count. There will probably be more drubbings such as that handed out by Bayern last night as teams maximise their gains whenever and wherever they can. It is highly unlikely that the top teams will be able to put out a second string in the last round of games, because every point and goal will matter. Goal difference could easily separate e.g. 6th to 11th and everybody will want to be in the top 8. I assume there will be some sort of seeding with 9th – 16th getting 2nd play-off leg at home. Again, GD might be the decider. Even at the very bottom, pride will ensure that they try desperately to avoid finishing in last place. I cannot see anybody sinking to sevco’s record worst level, so that is a record they are likely to hold on to for as long as they are a going concern. We will, of course, happily remind them of that record whenever the opportunity arises.
I quite like the new format and look forward to seeing how it all pans out…
I’m quietly confident of a win tonight without being cocky in any way –
Big decision to make in a wee while…
Go and pay to see The Mighty Clachnacuddin FC v Strathspey Thistle in The Highland League clash at Grant Street Park (AKA – The Ferry San Siro)…
Or go to the pub and see The Mighty Hoops (Hopefully) take three points v Slovan Bratislava…
I’ll probably rock up early at Clachnacuddin, pay in and have a pie n’ bovril (thereby financially supporting them if not verbally in The ‘Wineshed’ then fuck off to the pub and get pissed watching ma beloved Hoops hopefully win !
Aye well Celtic 5 v Slovan Bratislava 1 in The Champions League – MAGNIFICENT INDEED CELTIC…
And ever The Mighty Clachnacuddin 2 v Strathspey Thistle 0…
Oh Fuck – If Carlsberg did Wednesday’s and all that…
Even though it was Tennents and Whisky that I was drinking all night…
THANK YOU BRENDAN AND YOUR BHOYS !!!
Villa looked good last night, it’s our last game so hopefully we’ll be battling them for a top 8 spot. They’re a good team with a good manager and he’s talking about winning the whole thing. Up until the goal, I thought Young Boys looked decent too but they hadn’t the massive home advantage on a plastic pitch, we should definitely be targeting 3 points at Celtic park against them. That’s the 2nd last game. Celtic are massive favourites tonight, considering we’ve never won our opening CL group game I’m surprised. Must be the shortest odds we’ve ever had in the CL.
As you say, James every point won will be crucial under the new format. The Champions League was becoming dull, stale and boring. The present format should encourage teams to attack more than previously.
Hail Hail.