Getty Ahead of Thursday evening's draw, GOAL breaks down the strengths and weaknesses of all 36 participants in this season's expanded tournament
The Champions League proper is about to get under way – but it’ll be unlike anything we’ve seen before. The group stage has been replaced by a league phase that will see 36 teams (up from 32) play eight games against eight different teams (four at home, four away) to see who progresses directly to the last 16, who ends up in the play-off round, and who ends being eliminated from continental competition completely.
Tournament organisers UEFA believe that the ‘Swiss Model’ will provide more excitement and meaningful matches than ever before, and while such claims have provoked scepticism among some supporters, what we do know for certain is that this year’s competition is stacked with heavyweight contenders and potential surprise packages.
So, how are all of the participants shaping up ahead of Thursday’s draw? Below, GOAL ranks all 36 teams, from familiar faces such as Real Madrid, Manchester City and Bayern Munich to newcomers Bologna, Brest and Girona:
