Year of the underdog! Girona, Brest and the European minnows set to qualify for revamped Champions League next season

One of the most common critiques of the new-look Champions League is that it will lead to an even more predictable competition, which the continent's wealthier teams will continue to dominate. Those cynics likely have a point, too.

The new 'Swiss Model' will indeed increase the safety nets available for bigger teams who slip up during their eight group games next season, with those who finish as low as 24th still permitted to enter a play-off round and potentially progress to the knockout stages.

Saying that, the big dogs are not getting everything their own way under the new format. Plans to reserve several places in the competition based on previous European performance were scrapped following significant backlash and, unlike the proposed Super League, every club still has to 'earn' their right to play in the competition each year - even if the qualification parameters are far from perfect.

This is an inconvenient truth that many top clubs are discovering to their peril this season. Across Europe, this has been the year of the underdog, with a string of upstarts looking poised to beat off competition from some far more established names and book their place in the Champions League...