Lille’s strange experiment at the Metropolitan reveals another flaw in the new Champions League | Relief

Bruno Genesio surprised one and all with his full replacement squad in the Champions League. Only four players who usually defend the Lille shirt will be fighting for three points at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano. It is true that he is also suffering from many injuries, with eight players in dry dock, including two famous Spanish footballers such as Samuel Umtiti and Ethan Mbappe. But also, decided to carry out a rotation on a day that is not entirely suitable for experiments. There is something to do in the new format…

Lille face one of the most important games of the rest of the year next weekend against Lens. Derby, as well as a direct duel at the top of the standings. At the moment, both teams have 14 points and are in fourth and fifth positions, respectively. So it’s only natural that they would prefer to conserve their strength and leave key players like Jonathan David on the bench. But has this really happened before in max competitions??

This is difficult to find out, although logic tells us a clear “no”. The Champions League was a stage of dreams for the little ones and huge responsibilities for the big ones. Changes may be made, but not rotation of these characteristics. At least not in the format we all knew.. The options for this new model are exactly the ones that could allow Lille to have a night of respite.

Lille added an incredible and unexpected win over Real Madrid that left them mid-table with three points heading into the day and just below after the matches played this Tuesday. An unexpected victory that may allow you to breathe or create expectations you didn’t have before. Of course, the French team does not seem to have enough strength to score those 16-17-18 points that will be needed for the first eight positions.. It’s worth remembering that they will provide a direct ticket to the Round of 16, while those finishing 9th to 24th must go through to the Round of 16.

Thus, Lille are more likely to think about going through the tour without much praise. To do this, Relevo calculated how many points might be required to occupy the various qualification groups. The findings put them in 24th place in the table with a score of seven.Although it will always depend on the average level of classification, it can never become an exact science.

Clubs, to stay healthy, score around nine points to ensure classification. Since they go through more rounds and the modest ones have a margin of error, Lille comes looking for a win or a draw, but realizes that defeat won’t be fatal either. Now, Are they in a comfortable enough situation to afford it? Probably not.

It’s true that Lille beat Madrid, but they also lost to Sporting in a “much more winnable” match. Therefore, their situation is no better than they expected. Moreover, Atlético is not even the first basket that can allow them to relax: He still has to face Liverpool as a coconut, Juventus, dangerous Bologna, Feyenoord and Sturm Graz..

In short: They need six points if logic prevails, against Bologna, Feyenoord and Sturm Graz, a tough game. Let’s say that in this new Champions League Bruno Genesio plays with points and a calendar, which was previously impossible. But perhaps he is doing it recklessly…