Napoli coach Allegri has always been known for his shrewd calculations, but he appears to have miscalculated during the pre-match press conference ahead of the opening group stage match of the Champions League against Arsenal at home.

Allegri stated in the press conference: "This is a mini-league of eight games, and we need to accumulate enough points, probably 12 points, to guarantee direct qualification for the next phase."

However, judging by the situation since the Champions League group stage was reformed into a league format competition, 16 points appears to be a very strict threshold for finishing in the top eight and qualifying directly for the knockout stage.

In the 2024/25 season, the first of the new format, Bayer Leverkusen, Lille, and Aston Villa, which accumulated 16 points, managed to qualify in the top eight, while Atalanta, the highest-ranked team with 15 points, fell just short at 9th position.

In the 2025/26 season, Barcelona, Chelsea, Sporting CP, and Manchester City all entered the top eight with 16 points, while Real Madrid, the highest-ranked team with 15 points, secured only 9th position.

Traduzido por IA.

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