IT is probably too early to say whether the new Champions League format has been a success, but it has certainly kept far more clubs interested for longer than the old set-up.
Ahead of Tuesday night’s first half of games on matchday seven, only three of the 36 clubs involved had no chance of making it through to the knock-out phase of the competition, while not even leaders Liverpool were assured of their straight passage to the last-16.
One of the teams definitely going no further, Switzerland’s Young Boys, make the trip to Glasgow on Wednesday night to face Celtic on what could be an historic evening for the Hoops.
Brendan Rodgers and his players can secure a play-off place with a win, advancing to the knock-out phase of Europe’s top competition for the first time since 2013, when they lost in the last-16 to Juventus.
And while the Bhoys have been a little short of their free-flowing best since the New Year defeat to Rangers, they deserve to go into this one as strong favourites to get the job done.
That is not a tag that has traditionally rested easy on Celtic in Europe over the years, but this season’s campaign has been based on sterner stuff, bouncing back from the 7-1 loss to Borussia Dortmund on matchday two with a series of resolute performances, plus a stunning success at home to RB Leipzig.
Outside of that loss in Dortmund, only the 1-1 draw at home to Club Brugge could be classed as underwhelming, and a raucous Celtic Park should roar their Bhoys through tonight.
Young Boys have been totally out of their depth at this level, losing all six games and conceding five times in their away clashes with Barcelona and Stuttgart.
They have also just returned from a winter break in their domestic league, drawing 0-0 with Winterthur at the weekend to remain ninth in the 12-team Swiss Super League, and it’s doubtful manager Giorgio Contini will care too much about how things go in Glasgow.
By contrast, Celtic have only failed to win twice on home soil this term, against Brugge and Aberdeen, and even though there will be a few nerves, they will surely get the job done, as they need to with a tricky trip to Aston Villa to come in the final group game next week.
The Hoops are a best-price 1/3 to win, which will be a bit tight for almost all punters to get involved with, so the best idea could be to back them to be ahead at half-time and full-time at 20/21 with Boylesports.
Young Boys have conceded twice or more in the first half of four of their six Champions League games to date, while Celtic will want to make a fast start to banish any butterflies as quickly as possible.
City can prove too strong for PSG
Meanwhile, two of Europe’s richest clubs clash in Paris with both in danger of missing out on the knock-out stages altogether.
PSG host Manchester City in a re-run of the 2021 semi-final, when Pep Guardiola’s men won both legs before losing to Chelsea in the decider.
Ahead of last night, PSG were 25th in the standings and outside the play-off places, while City were 22nd, having picked up just one point from their last three European outings.
While City are also engaged in a dogfight for a top-four finish in the Premier League to secure Champions League football for next term, PSG are nine points clear and coasting in Ligue 1.
That doesn’t give the full picture, however, with Luis Enrique’s side struggling to put teams away in the fashion of previous star-studded PSG teams, while they have underwhelmed in Europe, although they could point to a far tougher set of fixtures than most.
City look to be coming round again after a dreadful run of form, with Phil Foden and Kevin De Bruyne starting to purr, while Erling Haaland is always a threat.
They are still vulnerable at the back but might just have too much for a PSG team who have lost to Arsenal, Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich already and tend to be found wanting when they step up a level.
City are very appealing here at 13/8 (Paddy Power), while an away win with both teams scoring definitely catches the eye at 100/30 with Sky Bet.
Finally, Ruben Amorim might be in the depths of despair at Old Trafford, but his old club Sporting have started to find their form again after quickly dispensing with his successor Joao Pereira.
The unheralded Rui Borges is now at the helm and has gone undefeated in his first five games and will be hopeful of maintaining that record at eliminated RB Leipzig tonight.
The Germans have lost all six games thus far, while Sporting were hammered last time out by Arsenal but are still right in the mix for the top eight positions.
Marksman Viktor Gyokeres is bang in form for the Portuguese champions and with their opponents merely going through the motions with nothing to play for, Sporting have to be fancied at 13/10 (Boylesports) on a night when the Champions League picture should become a fair bit clearer.
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SELECTIONS
Celtic ht/ft v Young Boys, 20/21 (Boylesports);
Manchester City to beat PSG, 13/8 (Paddy Power); City to win and both teams to score, 100/30 (Sky Bet);
Sporting to beat RB Leipzig, 13/10 (Boylesports)
