Wednesday sees a "Monster Wednesday" in the Champions League with 18 matches taking place simultaneously. blue Sport answers the hottest questions about the showdown in the top flight.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- The final matchday of the league phase of the Champions League takes place on Wednesday.
- 36 teams will play 18 games simultaneously for tickets to the knockout phase. blue Sport will show all games live and offer a conference with the most important matches.
- As bottom of the table, Young Boys can no longer qualify for the knockout play-offs. The home game against Red Star Belgrade is about honor and a lot of money.
How does the mode work?
In the new mode, 36 clubs play eight games each and are listed in a common table. The top eight teams at the end of the league phase qualify for the round of 16. The remaining eight places will be determined in knockout play-offs between the teams ranked 9th to 24th. The teams ranked 25 to 36 are eliminated from the competition.
What is Monster Wednesday and where can I watch the games?
Wednesday, January 29, is the big showdown in the Champions League. All 36 teams are in action at the same time, with all 18 games taking place at 9pm. As all teams are represented in a common table, every goal in every game can be decisive.
blue Sport broadcasts all matches live and with commentary in German. This means that 18 commentators will be working in parallel. Commentators Beat Signer (live from Manchester for the Man City-Bruges match) and Stefan Flückiger (from Wankdorf for the YB match) will also be reporting directly from the stadiums.
Thanks to blue Sport's "Conference light", which covers 8 matches, football fans receive the usual conference service and don't miss a thing.
What does blue Sport offer around the matches?
Live coverage on TV and online
blue Sport shows all matches live in all three language regions. Roman Kilchsperger and Valentina Maceri, together with the experts Mladen Petric and Marcel Reif, welcome you from the studio in Volketswil, with Urs Meier on duty as referee expert. In French-speaking Switzerland, Elodie Crausaz presents the program with experts Bernard Challandes and Massimo Lombardo.
The most important matches and scenes are covered online with a video ticker as near-live coverage on blue News. Numerous highlights from the matches can also be seen on blue Sport's social media channels.
The highlights
As it is impossible to keep track of 18 matches, blue Sport will show all the highlights in the "Matchnight" format following the live program and the studio show. The summaries of all matches can also be seen after the end of the game on blue News or on the blue Sport YouTube channel.
How many people are involved in blue Sport?
Across all three language regions, around 100 people work for blue Sport. In addition to 30 commentators, 50 people are involved in production alone. There are also presenters and experts in German- and French-speaking Switzerland as well as online and social journalists.
Who is already through or eliminated?
Liverpool FC (who have won all seven games) and FC Barcelona can safely plan for the round of 16.
Already safe in the round of 16: Liverpool FC, FC Barcelona
Nine teams no longer have a chance of reaching the knock-out play-offs, including YB, who are still without points.
Already eliminated: FC Bologna, Sparta Prague, RB Leipzig, FC Girona, Red Star Belgrade, Sturm Graz, Salzburg, Slovan Bratislava, Young Boys.
Two teams are through, nine teams are out. This means that on the last matchday of the Champions League, 25 teams are still in contention for direct qualification for the round of 16 or a ticket for the knockout play-offs.
What happens if the teams are tied on points?
In the old Champions League mode, the direct comparison was decisive in the event of a tie. This is no longer the case, as not all teams have necessarily played each other. The following criteria are therefore decisive in the event of a tie:
1. better goal difference
2. higher number of goals scored
3. higher number of away goals scored
4. higher number of wins
5. higher number of away wins
6. higher number of points scored by the eight opponents of the club concerned
7. better combined goal difference of the eight opponents
8. higher number of goals scored by the eight opponents
9. fair play rating
10. UEFA coefficient
How do the knockout playoffs work?
In the playoffs, a club in places 9 to 16 (seeded teams) meets a club in places 17 to 24 (unseeded teams). There is a first leg and a second leg. The better team in the league phase has the right to host the second leg. The draw for the knockout playoff matches will take place on Friday, January 31 at 12 noon in Nyon.
The winners of the knockout playoffs qualify for the round of 16 and will face one of the best eight teams in the league phase. For the play-off losers, such as teams ranked 25 to 36, the European journey is over. There is no ticket for the Europa League.
The dates of the knockout playoffs:
February 11/12 (first leg)
February 18/19 (second leg)
From the round of 16 onwards, the tournament mode will continue as usual. Two teams play a first and second leg until the last two remaining teams battle it out in the final. The final will take place in Munich on May 31, 2025.
What else is at stake for YB in the last game?
For the Young Boys, it will be their last European appearance of the season. The Bernese have lost all seven games so far and are bottom of the 36-team table. In the home game against Red Star Belgrade, which has also already been eliminated, the main aim is therefore to avoid the ignominy of finishing the Champions League campaign without any points.
As is so often the case, it's all about the money. A win in the league phase is rewarded with 2.1 million euros, while a draw brings in 700,000 euros.
