43 goals, second in history! Mourinho and Manchester City narrowly qualified, proving that the changes to the Champions League are correct.

In the third round of the UEFA Champions League, in the 9 games on the first day, 18 teams were fully fired and scored 43 goals together, averaging as high as 4.8 goals per game, setting the record for the second highest single-day goal average in the Champions League (at least 4 games). Coincidentally, the highest record in history came from the same day 11 years ago, when there were only 8 games and 16 teams scored a total of 40 goals, averaging 5 goals per game.

In the 9 games, Paris Saint-Germain defeated Leverkusen 7-2 away, Barcelona defeated Olympiakos 6-1 at home, and Eindhoven easily defeated Naples 6-2 at home. They were all games with more than 5 goals in one side. Dortmund defeated Copenhagen 4-2, and both teams scored a lot of goals. In addition, Arsenal and Inter Milan both scored 4-0, defeating Atletico Madrid and San Giros respectively, Newcastle defeated Benfica 3-0, and Manchester City defeated Villarreal 2-0, both of which were games in which the winner kept a clean sheet.

Paphos and Kairat, who were competing for the first time, met directly. Although Paphos lost one player due to a red card in the first 4 minutes, Kairat was unable to win. There was only no goal in this game and the two sides ended in a goalless draw. If you exclude this game, 43 goals were scored in 8 games, more than 11 years ago.

The question is, many people think that big wins are not conducive to "building character". One big win is not as good as many small wins. So, why do big scores keep appearing?

In the first two rounds of this season, there were games with big scores. For example, Frankfurt first defeated Galatasaray 5-1, and then lost 1-5 to Atletico Madrid. Real Madrid and Bayern Munich both scored five goals in away games. Last season was actually quite a lot. Bayern Munich won 9-2 in the first round, and then it was Dortmund's turn to score seven goals. A big victory means gaining more goal difference, which can sometimes play a key role in the new Champions League format.

After the Champions League was restructured, the group stage became the league stage. Among the 36 teams, the top eight teams directly advanced to the top 16, and the top 24 teams gained the right to qualify. It is easy to know from the mathematical "drawer principle" that after 8 games, from 0 points to 24 points, there are only 24 possibilities for 36 teams (it is impossible to get 23 points), and there will definitely be many identical points. In the case of the same score, priority is given to comparing the goal difference, so the goal difference is very important.

In last season's Champions League, Manchester City defeated its opponents in the final round and scored 11 points, which was the lowest score to qualify. Dinamo Zagreb, who had the same points, was eliminated due to a low goal difference and was eliminated early. Similarly, Fenerbahce led by Mourinho last season was even more thrilling. Five teams also had 10 points. Fenerbahce (minus 2 goals) relied on the advantage of losing 1 goal less, beating Braga (minus 3 goals) and Elfsburg (minus 5 goals). It ranked 24th and could get the last qualifying spot.

There is a huge difference between Glasgow Rangers and Anderlecht. The two teams have the same points. The former has a slightly higher goal difference and is just in eighth place. It can advance directly and eventually enter the quarterfinals. The latter had to participate in the play-offs and failed to enter the Europa League top 16 after losing to Fenerbahce.

In the Champions League, the five teams of Atalanta, Dortmund, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and AC Milan have a total of 15 points, ranking 9th to 13th respectively in order of goal difference. According to the rules, in the play-offs, Manchester City's opponents could only "choose one" between Real Madrid and Bayern. In the end, they were repelled by Real Madrid and missed the top 16 for the first time in 12 years.

It can be seen how important the goal difference is. It can bring about considerable changes in the rankings. It can even be the final word, deciding whether to qualify or be eliminated. Therefore, it is not surprising to see a big score in the Champions League. If you "retain" your strength and do not strive for more goal difference, you may face a "loss" situation at the last moment.

At least, even if a strong team can take all three points, they cannot relax and continue to strive for goals. With more goals scored, the game tends to look livelier and more exciting. From this perspective, the changes to the new Champions League format are still right. Encouraging more goals and winning big becomes the right choice.