The UEFA Champions League is the most popular and prestigious club competition in Europe. It has been run since its inception in 1955.
The Champions League is a global power game, attracting huge audiences and generating large amounts of wealth from broadcasting rights. It’s a tournament that’s almost as glamorous as the FIFA World Cup.
The competition is packed with international stars who represent their country and play together all season, giving it the kind of intensity that makes the World Cup look like a walk in the park. That's what makes it so enticing for fans.
That's why you see perennial champions like Real Madrid and Manchester City battling it out to claim the crown. Those clubs are the kind of clubs that arguably have the world's most talented players, and their winning streaks in this tournament are the stuff of legend.
The Champions League final is the biggest game of the year and a must-watch for fans around the world. But it can also be a tough match to predict.
The Knockout Stage
The Knockout Stage of CHAMPIONS LEAGUE is where the best of Europe go head-to-head in a final stage of European competition. Each team plays two matches against each other - one at their home field and the other away.
There are a few rules that govern this stage of the tournament, including the abolition of the away goal rule. This is a move that many football fans had been campaigning for.
The draw for the knockout round takes place in February, with some eagerly anticipated ties set to be played across four weeks. The winners of the group stages will face off against each other, while the runners-up will meet the third-placed teams from their groups in the semi-finals.
The Group Stage
The Champions League is UEFA’s elite club competition. It started out as the 'European Cup' in 1955-56 and has evolved into a group stage tournament featuring 32 clubs from a variety of countries.
The top two teams from each group advance to the knockout stages. If teams are tied for points after all three matches, advancement is determined by goal difference.
However, if they are still tied after the tiebreakers have been applied (i.e. Portugal loses to Uruguay, Ghana and Serbia draw), the team that beat both teams head-to-head advances.
A team’s placement in the group is very important as it can either help them progress to the next stage or completely hinder them depending on how other groups first and second placed teams do! As long as City finish 1st in their group this season (2022-23) then they won’t be drawn against any of the top seeded teams in the last 16 so it should be an easy progression!
The Semifinals
The UEFA Champions League quarterfinals have wrapped up and Europe's top club competition will begin the second phase of its finals stage. There are four sides remaining - Real Madrid, Manchester City, AC Milan and Liverpool - and it will be fascinating to see who makes it through to the semifinals.
The first leg of each semi-final is scheduled for May 9 or 10 and the second legs will be played on May 16 or 17. All match times are in Indian Standard Time (IST).
Real Madrid cruised into the semifinals after a 2-0 win against Chelsea that sealed a 4-0 aggregate victory. Meanwhile, Olivier Giroud scored in a 1-1 draw at Napoli that completed an 2-1 aggregate triumph for AC Milan.
The Italian giants will take on either Inter Milan or Benfica in the other semi-final tie. That's a good chance for the Serie A champions to end their season on a high.
