The Champions League has ROARED back after seeing off the European Super League threat... The group stage has been captivating with thrilling games, upsets and members of the 'dirty dozen' Barcelona, Real Madrid and Milan in jeopardy

  • This season's Champions League group stage has been more exciting than ever
  • The competition is often derided for not getting going until the knockout rounds
  • But we've had rollercoaster contests, upsets and big names already in jeopardy
  • Moldovan debutants Sheriff Tiraspol beat Real Madrid to cause a sensation
  • Big names Barcelona and AC Milan are staring down barrel of an early exit
  • Likes of Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid are sweating on progress to the last-16 
  • It will all be very satisfying to those who fought to kill European Super League 

If ever there was a time when the Champions League needed to come out kicking and screaming to justify its existence, this is it.

There were plenty who wanted to kill it off in pursuit of the untold riches of a cosy closed shop, bulldozing football's wonderful traditions as they clamoured for Wall Street cash.

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European football may have seen off the Super League threat - for now, anyway - but that hasn't stopped UEFA's infernal tinkerers senselessly redesigning their best competition.

Mohamed Salah scores from the spot to settle Liverpool's thriller with Atletico Madrid
Moldovan side Sheriff Tiraspol stunned Real Madrid in an entertaining group stage so far
Benfica crushed Barcelona 3-0 to leave one of European football's giants teetering on brink

The expanded 36-team Champions League group stage, which will see every participant play 10 instead of the current six matches, is coming our way in 2024. I bet you can't wait for that.

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So make sure you enjoy it now, enjoy it while you still can, because the Champions League will never again be this sweepingly perfect and exciting from start to finish.

It has been an accusation long levelled at the competition that it is only really worth watching from the last-16 stage onwards. That's when the drama actually starts.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United are far from assured of their last-16 place despite their win over Atalanta

The group stage has long been perceived as a means to an end, a procession of dull contests leading inexorably to the two strongest seeds finishing in the top two places and the filler clubs filtered into the Europa League where they belong.

But after reaching the mid-point of this season's group stage, nobody can possibly argue that it's been boring or predictable. 

We've had goals galore, thrilling contests, talking points upsets and the actual whiff of that thing all the elite clubs wanted to make extinct - jeopardy.

After another breathless night on Tuesday saw 35 goals, a couple of five-goal classics, Jurgen Klopp and Diego Simeone storming off and Ajax battering Dortmund.

Wednesday night saw 'just' the 24 goals but included a classic Manchester United comeback from two goals down to beat Atalanta, capped with yet another late winner from the competition's all-time leading scorer Cristiano Ronaldo.  

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Now fine, we did also see Manchester City demolish Club Bruges, Chelsea thrash Malmo and Real Madrid also rack up five goals away to Shakhtar Donetsk. Such one-sided contests will always remain part of this section of the competition.

But speaking generally about the Champions League so far, it is absolutely delivering the goods and simultaneously sticking two fingers up at the Super League cartel who still remain part of it.

The jeopardy felt by some of Europe's elite will feel sweet to those fans who protested against the European Super League proposals earlier this year
The breakaway league would have killed off the Champions League - but it has roared back

Let's have a cycle through the groups. You'd have got good odds on Moldovan debutants Sheriff Tiraspol leading Real Madrid and Inter Milan at the half-way mark in Group D.

A club that wouldn't have been part of a European Super League in a million years went to the Bernabeu and won 2-1, recording the biggest sensation in the competition's modern history.

They still have every chance of inflicting the indignity of the Europa League post-Christmas on either Real or Inter, with both these famous names due in Transnistria in the coming weeks.

Then look at Group E - Barcelona sitting second bottom after consecutive 3-0 defeats followed by a slender 1-0 win over Dynamo Kyiv. 

Losing to Bayern Munich was kind of expected but suffering a similar reverse to Benfica was not, however wounded Barca are right now.

But the spectre of Thursday night football at the Nou Camp in the New Year certainly hasn't gone away and Benfica have every chance of pipping them to second spot behind Bayern. 

It's been a disaster of a campaign so far for Barcelona, who have yet to score or win a point
Porto's win over AC Milan has left another big name of European football staring at elimination

Group B has been a barnstormer, with Liverpool beating both AC Milan and Atletico Madrid 3-2. Who said the group stage doesn't conjure up excitement?

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Oh yeah, Milan, another of the 'dirty dozen', have yet to register a single point on their Champions League comeback after losing to Porto on Tuesday. Guessing Porto's invite got lost in the post.

Manchester United are feeling nervous as well despite being bailed out by Ronaldo at the death once again. 

After losing to Young Boys on matchday one, they squeezed past Villarreal thanks to his 96th-minute goal having been thoroughly second best. 

Manchester United were left stunned by Young Boys on matchday one in a major upset
Ronaldo has now bailed them out in consecutive games against Villarreal and Atalanta

Atalanta also gave them a real runaround and given how fragile United look at the moment, you really wouldn't back them to take maximum points from upcoming trips to Bergamo and then Villarreal. 

United may be top of their group at present but Europa nights at Old Trafford still loom.

So it hasn't been at all bad for what is supposedly the most uninspiring part of a Champions League season.

Now, it may yet be the case that the cream rises to the top. But it has proved beyond all doubt that a little bit of peril for the big names does generate intrigue and excitement.

Borussia Dortmund were thrashed 4-0 by Ajax on Tuesday to blow Group C wide open

Let's recap on the current status of eight of those 12 clubs who proposed back in April to leave behind the apparent tedium of their domestic leagues and play one another and other invited guests for the rest of eternity while becoming even wealthier.

Barcelona and AC Milan - bottom of their groups without a point. Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Man United and Atletico Madrid - sweating on making it through. 

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Tottenham - on a glorified Interrail trip in the Conference League. Arsenal - don't even need their passports this year.

Those who wanted their wet, cold nights in Stoke and Burnley and took to the streets in angry protest are entitled to give a little smirk at the situation, even if it probably won't last all season.

It all begs the question why UEFA would want to drain away all remaining interest in the group stage by expanding it.

It's the delights of the Europa Conference League this season for Spurs, one of the Super League's 'dirty dozen' clubs
Arsenal, meanwhile, can concentrate exclusively on domestic engagements this season

In a few years' time, all 36 teams will be ranked in one league and will play a minimum of 10 group games (five home and five away).

The top eight in this mega-league will qualify automatically for the knockout stages, while those in places 9-24 will compete in a two-legged play-off to make it into the round of 16.

There's devil in the detail of who gets in as well. Two places will be reserved for clubs with the highest coefficient who didn't qualify, so apologies to aspirational Sheriff and their ilk.

There was considerable opposition to these proposals but they were voted through by UEFA's Executive Committee in April as the Super League storm was brewing. It was a part compromise to weather the storm.

Manchester City and RB Leipzig served up a nine-goal thriller at the start of the group stage

So let's imagine what this new format will be like. A slog through 10 matches, all shoehorned into an already congested calendar before mid-December, at the expense of domestic leagues and cups.

A significant number of meaningless games with top teams already through or weaker ones eliminated and yet more expense when it comes to foreign travel for the fans.

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And, at the end of it all, 24 teams remaining alive after the group stage rather than the present 16. If you're one of the big clubs, how can you possibly fail?

With any element of risk stripped away, it promises to all be a bit dull. We'll be craving the knockout stages as soon as it all kicks off in September.

So just make the most of it this season and the next couple. Jeopardy equals entertainment and it's making this season's Champions League must-watch.