Looking for 'dark horses' in the Champions League

Champions League - Ảnh 1. — Qarabag (left) will find it difficult to go far in the Champions League - Photo: REUTERS

But last season, when the European Football Federation (UEFA) revolutionized the Champions League, the "dark horse" was no longer in this tournament.

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It was only when it happened that experts had the most accurate view. And after a year of the huge reform, the football world realized that the current Champions League has very little room for "dark horses" to enter.

Why? Because the strong teams have too many opportunities. The "Swiss format" at first glance looks cumbersome, complicated and very competitive when only 8/36 teams in the group stage qualify directly for the round of 16. But on the other hand, with this format, even the bottom teams in the top 24 can still qualify for the play-off round.

The same goes for the third-placed teams in each group - in the old format, there was still a chance for a play-off against the second-placed teams. Once the opportunity was opened up so much, the pressure was reduced. And this made the strong teams no longer nervous, worried about the risk of being eliminated early. It was thanks to this factor that Real Madrid, Man City, and especially PSG, successively overcame difficulties successfully in the group stage last season.

Even the extension of the group stage from 6 to 8 rounds is theoretically more advantageous for the big teams. As the number of matches increases, the big teams will have more chances to salvage the situation if they are unlucky to stumble in the first rounds. Therefore, the surprise from the average and weak teams will gradually decrease.

Who will be the "dark horse"?

"Dark horses" are not completely absent, but they did not really make an impression in the first season of the Champions League after the reform. In the play-off round, two Dutch representatives, PSV and Feyenoord, caused a big surprise when they eliminated two Italian giants, Juventus and AC Milan. But in the round of 16, these teams were quickly deciphered by experienced and classy clubs. Some teams with higher strength such as Benfica, Lille, or Aston Villa could not go too far.

That was last season, so what about this season? After 3 rounds, Newcastle is the rare team that is not a "big guy" to make it into the top 10. And Qarabag is the only team that is considered "weak" to make it into the top 16. But in the next rounds, everything will probably be back to normal. Tomorrow morning, Chelsea will face Qarabag, and will most likely decode this interesting "dark horse".

As for Newcastle, they are actually an emerging giant of European football with strong financial resources and many notable young stars. Newcastle only lacks experience in the continental arena. The big problem with the "Magpies" is that they have to compete fiercely in the Premier League, so they may have difficulty physically in the upcoming rounds.

Who among the "average" teams like PSV, Atalanta, Bilbao, Frankfurt can become "dark horses" in a competition format that has been deciphered by the giants?