Champions League: a new goal-fest

In the past, it would have been called ‘the goal merry-go-round’. Or, if you prefer, we could call it Wonderland. Welcome to the 2026–27 Champions League, where goals – usually a rare occurrence in a low-scoring sport such as football – are now being scored with remarkable frequency. Just consider that, on the first matchday of the mega-group stage, 69 goals were scored; on the second, 78 (a new tournament record); and on the third, 74.

Last year, in the second season featuring the expanded 36-team league (and therefore with more matches than under the old format), a record 655 goals were scored in a single season. This year, if the trend continues, that figure could well be surpassed.

The question arises, as Marzullo would say. What accounts for such an abundance? There are many factors to consider in explaining this phenomenon. First and foremost, of course, is the fact that football – whether you like it or not – has gradually transformed over the last thirty years from a sporting competition into an entertainment event. In short, it has become a spectacle sport and, as such, increasingly inclined to favour attacking play because, as some say, defences may well win championships (a rule that is not always true, mind you), but it is attacking play that sells tickets… and television rights.

The desire to play attacking football, the new rules that encourage the flow of the game by preventing the old time-wasting tactics, and the presence of VAR, which ‘discourages’ the use of those defensive tricks that were once possible, are all factors that have driven the move towards a more proactive style of play.

Almost all of the continent’s strongest teams field at least three (if not four) attacking players on the pitch at the same time, who are skilled at one-on-one situations and shooting at goal.

But it is not merely a question of tactics or a shift in mindset. Contributing to this glut of goals is also the fact that the gap between the big teams and the smaller ones is widening. This often results in matches ending with lopsided scorelines, as was the case, for example, in this round with Manchester City v AEK (5–1) or Roma v Slovan Bratislava (4–0). In short, several sides already find themselves with significant goal-difference deficits: after three rounds, the Greeks are at -5, the Slovaks at -12, and Lille and Fenerbahe at -6.

Even more evenly matched fixtures – which in the past might have ended in a 0–0 or 1–1 draw – have produced more goals (7 in Inter v Club Brugge, Napoli v Bodø/Glimt and Liverpool v Villarreal).

The single-round-robin format, with as many as eight matches per team on the fixture list, also leaves room to make up for a slow start. This, too, makes it possible to move away from the excessive caution that characterised many matches in the traditional four-team groups, where losing one or two matches meant jeopardising qualification for the next round.

In short, the current Champions League is characterised by more entertainment and fewer risks for the big clubs. Whether this also means a higher overall standard, however, remains a matter of debate.