Football Daily | Champions League drama galore – so why do we feel hollow?

Champions League group stage delivers dramatic comebacks and goals but leaves fans feeling hollow due to the 36-team format's lack of jeopardy.

Football Daily reflects on a thrilling Champions League night featuring 40 goals across nine games, including PSG's late rally against Barcelona and Scott McTominay's double for Napoli on his return from heart surgery. Despite the entertainment value, the article argues the new 36-team format undermines the competition's stakes: teams finishing 11th or 15th still advance with minimal consequences, removing the tension that defined knockout football. PSG exemplified this, finishing 15th last season and 11th this season yet progressing both times, while currently sitting atop the standings with three wins from three.