It suited PSG, but was new Champions League format a success?

The Champions League run has ended pinch a caller victor of nan trophy successful nan style of Paris St-Germain.

This play represented nan competition's biggest alteration of format since nan group shape was introduced successful nan 1991-92 season.

Since then, nan title has featured immoderate operation of groups of 4 teams, playing each different location and away, earlier a knockout shape (or consecutive last successful 91-92 and 92-93).

This season, nan expanded 36-team tourney saw each broadside play 8 different teams - 4 astatine location and 4 distant - successful 1 large convention phase.

It reached its climax astatine nan extremity of January earlier nan accepted knockout stages sewage nether way, but was it a success?

PSG would opportunity truthful aft lifting their maiden Champions League trophy successful Munich having initially vanished 15th successful nan convention shape and needing to advancement via a play-off to scope nan knockouts proper.

Former Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha was complimentary of nan caller format and believes it has been a success.

"I've enjoyed it," Onuoha told BBC Sport. "There were tons of bully games successful nan group shape and tons of large moments, and not conscionable erstwhile nan large teams person played each different either.

"The biggest alteration for maine was that teams only played each different erstwhile successful nan convention stage. It meant no-one lived aliases died by that result, and besides nan power from nan lesser teams was very different to erstwhile teams knew they would play each different again successful a fewer weeks' time.

"Aston Villa beating Bayern Munich was a bully example. Bayern did not get a 2nd chance against them, erstwhile they astir apt would not person slipped up again - but they were still capable to claw backmost nan points they dropped."

Eventual champions PSG mislaid 3 of their opening 5 games, earlier a precocious resurgence saw them triumph their adjacent 3 matches to unafraid a play-off necktie pinch chap Ligue 1 broadside Brest.

After winning that, Luis Enrique's broadside met Liverpool, nan squad who vanished apical of nan convention phase, successful nan past 16.

"While PSG are intelligibly a top-quality side, their travel shows that uncovering shape astatine nan correct clip is what matters," added Onuoha. "They were retired of nan apical 24 until they won their penultimate game, and past sewage done nan play-off stage.

"That's different point I for illustration astir nan format, because PSG person shown that successful nan future, it doesn't matter if you don't make nan apical eight."

Journalist Nicky Bandini made a good constituent astir nan caller format benefitting Luis Enrique's side.

"Without this format, we would possibly not person seen this PSG squad that has developed during nan play because they could person gone out," said Bandini. "This measurement we get to spot them progress, and it feels for illustration a much entertaining journey.

"Always truthful overmuch successful nan Champions League has been astir coming bully astatine nan correct clip - it has ever been astir what's your shape for illustration successful nan outpouring alternatively than your shape astatine nan commencement of nan tournament.

"But I do deliberation pinch nan other games this year, and pinch nan very circumstantial travel we person seen PSG spell on, you really person been capable to observe this improvement successful existent time."

Aside from Liverpool's early exit, nan seeding strategy seemed to activity pinch Barcelona (second), Arsenal (third) and Inter (fourth) each making astatine slightest nan semi-finals.

For Inter, a fourth-placed decorativeness meant they were faced pinch a favourable necktie pinch Feyenoord successful nan past 16 earlier taking connected Bayern Munich and Barcelona successful nan past 8 and semi-finals.

Unlike erstwhile editions, wherever galore teams had already secured qualification aliases elimination earlier nan last round, this year's convention shape delivered a acold much unpredictable, thrilling, and emotionally charged conclusion.

Going into nan last group games past season, 13 teams had already secured qualification for nan past 16.

But this term, only Liverpool and Barcelona were guaranteed a spot successful nan past 16 - gained by finishing successful nan apical 8 places successful nan league.

So pinch 27 teams still having thing connected nan statement an breathtaking finale to nan convention shape was anticipated.

The convention shape featured rematches of 4 of nan past 5 Champions League finals pinch Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice saying: "Usually, you find these games successful nan quarter-finals aliases semi-finals."

Manchester City were nan large communicative of nan convention shape pinch 3 points needed connected nan last convention shape crippled to book their spot successful a play-off - wherever they were beaten by Real Madrid successful a thrilling contest.

By creating a format wherever teams played 8 different opponents successful a convention shape that culminated pinch 64 goals successful nan last 18 matches, Uefa decision-makers will possibly consciousness they person countered suggestions that nan erstwhile group shape could beryllium repetitive astatine times, pinch large names ever progressing.

Uefa claimed nan caller format would guarantee each lucifer has nan imaginable to importantly effect a team's last standing. "Every crippled counts" was nan precise wording used.

On 1 hand, only 2 games connected matchday 8 were existent dormant rubbers - Young Boys (36th) v Crvena zvezda (32nd) and Sturm Graz (33rd) v RB Leipzig (30th). The different teams each had thing to play for, moreover if that meant conscionable fighting for position. If that is taken successful isolation, that is simply a clear trading constituent for this latest format.

On nan different hand, 9 teams had already been eliminated going into nan last matchday, pinch Shakhtar Donetsk besides practically out, needing to hit Borussia Dortmund and use from an improbable five-goal plaything to qualify.

With 24 of nan 36 teams either qualifying for nan past 16 consecutive from nan convention shape aliases into a play-off, genuine jeopardy was astatine a minimum. Manchester City made it done contempt a tally that saw them suffer 3 retired of 4 games.