Two Champions League spots will go to associations with the best collective performance by their clubs in the previous season from 2024-25 onwards after UEFA's Executive Committee approved the final format and access list for European club competitions.

UEFA also changed the criteria to qualify for Europe's premier club competition, removing access based on club coefficient, denying teams who did historically well a chance to qualify even if they did not finish in qualifying positions.

The final format was approved in Vienna on Tuesday.

A focused Manchester City will channel the pain of their Champions League semifinal defeat by Real Madrid into Sunday's home game against Newcastle United, manager Pep Guardiola said on Friday.

The Spaniard told reporters he had not spoken to his players since Real's astonishing comeback in Wednesday's second leg in Madrid and nothing he said would be any consolation.

There’s no sequence of words that can accurately describe and recap the magical events that took place at the Santiago Bernabéu on Wednesday. What is certain is that Real Madrid’s miraculous comeback to win 6-5 on aggregate against Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League semifinal would never have happened without Ferland Mendy’s heroic defensive actions in the 87th minute.

You never write Real Madrid out of a Champions League plot. Never do it. Ever. Except this time. This time it felt right. This time they truly seemed cooked. 

Heading into Tuesday's Champions League semifinal return leg at La Cerámica, both Villarreal and Liverpool knew it'd be a far cry from the Reds' 90 minutes of controlled dominance at Anfield.

"The match next week will be very different from tonight's," Villarreal boss Unai Emery said after the first leg. "I think they are going to suffer more next week in our home."

On Monday, Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp delivered a similar take by saying his side had "to be ready to suffer and sit back in moments, but not as a general approach."

After 45 enthralling minutes of Champions League semifinal action on Tuesday, Villarreal was leading Liverpool 2-0 and had tied the aggregate at 2-2. Was the little yellow submarine going to sink the gigantic Liverpool battleship?

A second half goalkeeping nightmare from Villarreal goalkeeper Gerónimo Rulli ended those dreams as Liverpool scored three to win 3-2 on the night and 5-2 on aggregate.