This is the short version.

• 36 teams will each play eight matches between now and the end of January.

• The top eight advance to the last 16.

• The bottom 12 go home (not to the Europa League, not even with a bus ticket).

• The teams finishing 9th through 24th will play for a place in the last 16.

Confused? Of course you are. Now all I need are the last three numbers on the back of the card.

And now $something €ompl£t£ly different: the dawn of the Swiss Model era of the Champions League. Think of it as men’s football’s answer to the Brat summer, only with less hedonism, a whole lot more angst, billions of pounds in suits and a deluge of soft-tissue injuries. Long live the Brass winter.

So far so good. One of the best players in the world celebrated the big day by confirming that he and his colleagues have added enough games to the calendar.

Whatever you think of the new format – I can understand both sides! – it will end either way with Real Madrid a happy team enjoying the greatest heights in club football. The magic of becoming European champions will never fade. AC Milan and Liverpool, who meet tonight, have done so seven and six times respectively, with only Real Madrid winning the competition more often.

Both clubs are European Cup royalty. Unfortunately, if we’re talking about royalty, Milan have been more like (redacted) lately. They haven’t reached the final since beating Liverpool 2-1 in Athens in 2007. In fact, they’ve only reached the half-final once in the last 17 years, and even that memory must be kept in a sealed box: after fighting their way through against Tottenham and Napoli in 2022-23, they were thrashed in the last four by Internazionale.

Liverpool have reached the final in three of their last six Champions League campaigns and have started the season well under Arne Slot, despite crashing their heads into a tree against Nottingham Forest on Saturday. Milan are 10th in Serie A after a mixed start under Paulo Fonseca, but they are joint top scorers and beat Venezia 4-0 at the weekend.

I’d love to say this is a must-win game for both sides, but I don’t want to lie to you. Not yet. We may eventually realize that the outcome of tonight’s game was decisive; right now, it’s less about danger and more about novelty.

Kick-off 8:00 p.m.