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Good morning! We had our doubts about the “Swiss model” UEFA adopted for the expanded UEFA Champions League. Instead of being divided into groups in which all teams face each other in the same group, the 36 teams (up from 32) were entered in a single table and play a total of eight games against opponents determined at random (two each from pre-tournament seedings). The league stage will end with games this week and next week, sending 24 of the 36 teams on to the knockout stage. It makes for some serious table-watching as every goal seemingly shuffles the order in the standings. (The key cutoffs: top 8, 9-16 and 17-24.) Decision Day (Jan. 29) will be very interesting with all 18 games kicking off at the same time.

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