League phase shake-up: the new format is producing the chaos Uefa wanted

The league phase was sold as a way to guarantee big clubs more big nights. Three matchdays in, it has instead guaranteed everyone chaos: only four points separate ninth from twenty-fourth.

The schedule has been brutal. Clubs now face eight different opponents instead of three, and the travel load is showing in domestic results. Coaches are rotating earlier and more aggressively than ever.

For the traditional powers, the arithmetic is uncomfortable. Drop points in two of eight and you are suddenly staring at a two-legged play-off in February against a side that finished fifth in a league you barely watch.

Uefa will not complain. Every matchday now has four or five fixtures with knockout stakes, and the viewing numbers reflect it. The giants may hate it; the format is not going anywhere.