AP, London :
Barcelona helps to usher in a new-look to the Champions League on Tuesday as fans adjust to new staggered kickoff times.
Most matches in the group stage will now begin simultaneously at 2100 GMT, 15 minutes later than in previous seasons. That is to accommodate a couple of games being played in a new earlier slot of 1855 CET to maximize television audiences.
So when the group stage begins on Tuesday it won’t be such a late finish at the Camp Nou for Barcelona’s game against PSV Eindhoven or at the San Siro where Inter Milan plays Tottenham.
Inter benefited from the fourth-place teams in England, Germany, Spain and Italy now securing a direct route into the group stage, rather than having to contest a playoff. What has not changed is four groups are in action on Tuesday, and the other four on Wednesday. Here is a look the groups playing on Tuesday: None of the quartet reached the knockout phase last season.
It was considered a debacle for Atletico, which had made at least the quarterfinals for four successive seasons, including two finals. Diego Simeone’s team still made the best of a bad situation, though, dropping into the Europa League and winning the second-tier competition.
