As the Champions League returns for another midweek slate of fixtures, attention has increasingly turned away from the competition's biggest names and toward a handful of newcomers and underdogs who promise to inject some unpredictability into an increasingly commercialized tournament.
The competition's Swiss system format, which now sees 36 teams whittled down to 24 after 114 matches, has drawn criticism for becoming bloated and less compelling than in previous eras. Iconic ties from years past involving Liverpool, Atlético Madrid, Napoli, Arsenal, Real Madrid and Inter once dominated conversation, but recent editions have struggled to generate the same buzz, partly due to broadcasting being locked behind paywalls.
Holders Paris Saint-Germain highlight football's shifting priorities, with the club wealthy enough to field entirely separate squads for Ligue 1 and Champions League fixtures. Manchester City's now-familiar rivalry with Real Madrid, meanwhile, will not resume this year, as the two sides are not drawn against each other in the group phase.
However, several smaller clubs are offering genuine reasons for optimism among neutral supporters. Serie A newcomers Como arrive in the competition with Cesc Fàbregas as their promising young head coach and Nico Paz, seen by some as a potential heir to Lionel Messi's creative influence, among their squad.
Austrian side Lask, based in Linz, will make their Champions League group-stage debut this season after eliminating Celtic during the playoff round. Their squad includes defender Miguel Freckleton, who has previously featured for a string of English lower-league clubs including Mangotsfield, Wealdstone, Yeovil, Chesterfield, Swindon and St Mirren.
Azerbaijan's representation in the competition has shifted from Qarabag to Sabah, a club based in a small municipality near the Masazir salt lake. Sabah's head coach, Valdas Dambrauskas, has an unusual backstory: after winning money on a Lithuanian television quiz show in 2002, he used the funds to move to England, where he later joined Manchester United's youth coaching setup in 2004. His side's group campaign includes a reunion fixture against the Old Trafford club where his coaching journey began.
Slovan Bratislava also bring intrigue, now managed by Yaya Touré, who lifted the trophy himself as a player in 2009. Touré took charge over the summer, succeeding Vladimir Weiss, and becomes the first African head coach to lead a team into the tournament's group stage — a landmark many feel is long overdue.
Norway's Bodø/Glimt, based above the Arctic Circle, return to the competition once again, continuing their reputation for producing surprising results despite operating with far smaller resources than most of their rivals.
Elsewhere, Kylian Mbappé addressed PSG's continued dominance in Europe since his departure from the club, remarking on his understanding of the game. "I can't change it. The truth is that I really don't care. I know how to analyse football, I know why [they have won the Champions League twice]. I don't know everything about football but I know more than most," Mbappé said.
On the pitch, Tuesday's action included Aston Villa's 2-1 away win over Club Brugge, while Manchester City were held to a 1-1 draw by Porto.
While the tournament's headline clashes between Europe's superclubs may continue to dominate the spotlight, this season's group stage suggests there remains plenty of charm to be found further down the bracket, among clubs unaccustomed to Champions League nights but eager to make the most of their moment.
Based on reporting from The Guardian.