Features
Long reads and explainers for people new to all this.
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The Champions League table, explained: how the 36-team league phase works and where everyone stands before matchday 4
For anyone who sees one long table of 36 clubs and does not know what the lines mean. The format, the key dates, and who is where after three games, with Inter and Manchester United down in 20th.
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How to read a football price: a plain guide using this weekend's games
For readers who see 3.06, 3.55 and 2.50 next to Liverpool v Arsenal and do not know what they mean. Decimal odds, rough probabilities, the margin, the goals line and the handicap, with real prices from this weekend.
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Two derbies in one Saturday: a plain guide to Milan v Inter and Bayern v Dortmund
For anyone new to Italian and German football. Why these two games matter more than the three points, who is in form, who is not, and what to look for at 18:30 and 20:45 CET on Saturday 31 October.
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The 75-minute rule: why confirmed line-ups arrive when they do
Premier League and Champions League teams are published 75 minutes before kick-off, cup teams at 60. Here is where the rule comes from, what it means for fans, and why the betting prices move at that exact moment.