Liverpool join growing list in exposing UEFA blunder with Champions League win over Bologna
Liverpool made it two wins from two in the Champions League
PA
The Champions League expansion has not had the desired effect UEFA were hoping for after two weeks of matches with Liverpool's clash with Bologna the latest proof that the competition has lost its magic.
The league format will eventually provide some drama - as any cup competition would entering the knockout phase.
Only the top eight automatically qualify for the round of 16 while those finishing ninth to 24th will battle it out in a two-legged play-off.
That leaves 12 teams that will be eliminated from the competition at the end of the league phase.
The change to the Champions League format was something UEFA felt necessary to freshen things up and 'result in more competitive matches'.
Liverpool made it two wins from two in the Champions League
PA
However, competitive matches have been scarce at the start of the European competition with several one-sided matches and a lack of quality in others.
The former group stage created more jeopardy for some of the top sides with just six matches, meaning dropped points had far more consequences.
The new format sees teams playing eight matches in total with sports analytic company Opta predicting just 10 points being enough to qualify for the next round.
That would allow teams to lose four of their eight matches and still progress to the next stage.
And some are already more than halfway in achieving that with six games remaining, potentially creating a large number of deadrubber matches in the latter stages of the league phase.
Teams like Liverpool will inevitably see the league phase as a nuisance as opposed to the elite competition it once was.
Arne Slot's side currently sit top of the Premier League with a difficult run of games in the coming weeks.
The English top flight will quickly take precedence for Slot when trying to manage his squad and the match at Anfield on Tuesday appeared to indicate the players also felt the same way.
Slot named a strong starting line-up for the match against Bologna, but there was a lack of urgency often seen at Anfield on European nights.
Arne Slot can afford to rest some of his top players
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After taking a one-goal lead, Liverpool appeared content to sit back with Bologna failing to take one of their multiple chances of making it a competitive match.
Liverpool aren't the only side who have made a mockery of the new format with sides like Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen just a few points away from securing qualification.
Managers and players have been complaining about the amount of matches they're being asked to play for several years now, but their voices continue to fall on deaf ears.
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There's a lack of jeopardy in the new format
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The new Champions League format will see the league phase continue until the end of January, a time of the season where squads are stretched to the limit with players picking up injuries and needing rest.
Fans ultimately pay the price with players unable to compete at the highest level for a sustained period.
And the early signs in this year's Champions League suggest there will be far more forgettable matches than classics with UEFA solely to blame.
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