Milan – Liverpool: Champions League – live | Champions League

This is the short version.

• 36 teams will play eight games each until the end of January.

• The best eight advance to the round of 16.

• The last twelve go home (not to the Europa League, not even with their bus ticket).

• The teams ranked 9th to 24th will play for a place in the round of 16.

Confused? Of course you are. Now I just need the last three digits on the back of the card.

And now for something completely different: the beginning of the era of the Swiss model of the Champions League. You could think of it as the men's game's answer to the Brat Summer, only with less hedonism, a lot more fear, billions of pounds spent on suits and a mysterious spate of soft tissue injuries.

So far, things are going well: one of the best players in the world marks the big day by confirming that he and his colleagues have had enough of the games that have been added to the calendar.

Whatever you think of the new format – I can understand both sides! – it will still end with real Madrid a happy team to experience the greatest pinnacle of club football. The magic of winning the European Championship will never fade. AC Milan and Liverpool, who meet tonight, have done so seven and six times respectively; only Real Madrid have won the competition more times.

Both clubs are the premier class of the European Cup. But when we talk about the premier class, Milan has recently been more like [redacted]They have not reached the final since beating Liverpool 2-1 in Athens in 2007. In fact, they have only half-Final once in the last 17 years, and even that memory must remain forever locked: after battling past Spurs and Napoli in the 2022/23 season, they were crushed by Internazionale in the semi-finals.

Liverpool have reached the final in three of the last six Champions League seasons and have started the season well under Arne Slot, although they ran headfirst into a tree against Nottingham Forest on Saturday. Milan are 10th in Serie A after a mixed start under Paulo Fonseca, but are joint-top scorers and thrashed Venezia 4-0 at the weekend.

I'd like to say that both sides have to win this game, but I don't want to lie to you. Not yet. Maybe at some point we'll come to the conclusion that the result of today's game was decisive; right now it feels less like danger and more like novelty.

Start 8 p.m.