The qualifying rounds for the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League commenced this week, two months earlier than Liverpool enter the league part of the event.
The Reds completed high of the expanded league desk within the competitors final season underneath its radical new format, solely to be eradicated on penalties within the spherical of 16 by eventual trophy winners Paris Saint-Germain.
The governing physique of European soccer has confirmed a slight but probably important tweak to the tourmaent for the upcoming marketing campaign, one which might probably have implications for the Reds.
UEFA affirm Champions League change for 2025/26
As reported by Dale Johnson for ESPNUEFA have amended the regulation for the Champions League knockout part which is meant to reward sporting benefit from the league part, somewhat than utilizing a random draw to find out the order wherein two-legged ties are performed.
The groups which end first and second within the league part will now be assured to have the second leg at residence in every spherical as much as the ultimate, ought to they progress that far, whereas the highest 4 sides can be afforded that profit as much as and together with the quarter-finals.
Nevertheless, ought to the lower-placed workforce win a knockout tie (as PSG did towards Liverpool in March), they might successfully ‘win’ the appropriate to residence benefit for the second leg. For instance, ought to 1st lose to Sixteenth, the Sixteenth-placed workforce would have the second leg at residence all the best way till the ultimate, in the event that they get that far.
The choice to maneuver away from re-ranking every tie because the rounds progress inadvertently locations the groups finsihing third and fourth at an obstacle, as they’ll now not be capable to have their semi-final second leg at residence, even when they arrive up towards a aspect ending as little as twenty fourth within the league part.
(Picture by Julian Finney/Getty Photographs)
How might that impression Liverpool’s strategy to the Champions League?
Theoretically the Reds ought to’ve benefitted from topping the league part final season, however in actuality they had been unlucky to return up towards a PSG aspect who stuttered earlier than Christmas however have been imperious all through 2025.
Some Liverpool followers may duly argue that ending wherever within the high eight would do, in order to keep away from going by an additional Champions League spherical in February, though a lot of our biggest European nights have been with the second leg at Anfield, the place we all know the duty in hand and the supporters reply accordingly.
It’s not a problem that Arne Slot’s aspect will encounter till subsequent spring, because the league part clearly must be negotiated first, though it would grow to be extra important by the point we get to the New 12 months.
The time will come when Kopites are buzzing for Champions League nights at Anfield, however for now, LFC stays a membership in mourning after the tragic loss of life of Diogo Jota, to whom so many heartfelt tributes have been paid on Merseyside and past.
Liverpool’s first pre-season pleasant towards Preston on Sunday represents a tentative preliminary step again in the direction of a way of routine for the gamers as they attempt to come to phrases with the terrible occasions of final Thursday.
