Scandal-hit Man City returns to Champions League hosting PSG

Manchester City’s return to the Champions League after a devastating verdict of financial rule-breaking is against Paris Saint-Germain. Man City hosts title holder PSG on Wednesday in a standout meeting of Middle East state-backed clubs who were on parallel narratives for much of the past 15 years. The long-underachieving clubs have won three of the past four Champions League titles.

Five weeks after the opening round of Champions League Barcelona is still Europe’s best and takes a nine-win streak to Galatasaray. Also Tuesday, Arsenal hosts Lille and Bayern Munich visits Norway's Viking. Real Madrid visits Roma on Wednesday.

Background: how the league phase works

The Champions League format introduced in 2024/25 puts 36 clubs in a single league table. Each club plays eight different opponents, with four matches at home and four away. A win earns three points and a draw earns one. Because teams face different opponents, a single result does not tell the whole story of a club's position.

The top eight advance directly to the round of 16. Teams finishing ninth to 24th enter a two-legged knockout play-off; those finishing 25th or lower are eliminated. When following a match report, distinguish the result from its effect on qualification: that depends on the wider table and the fixtures still to come.

Format reference: UEFA's explanation of the competition.

Read the original report at Apnews.