denco,
It is just a matter of statistics - there is nothing special about it. If you are not an outstanding team, then it is better to play less match than more, because on an any given day any team can beat any other team. Milan could loose to likes of AEK, but that hardly means they are inferior to the Greek squad. Good teams are defined by their consistency, and the matter of fact is Liverpool are 13 points behind Chelski, with the latter game in hand. Spin it all you want with the squad being more suited for CL, squad depth etc, Chelski is superior to the Pool when it come down to the last bone. Liverpool could possibly be a Champions of Europe and yet they might finish whooping 20 points behind ManUre at the end of season. That is serious inferiority, and Liverpool simply isnt great team at all.
Since the change of format, more and more less recognised teams are making it to latter stages. That is fact. Depor, Monaco, PSV, Villareal, Porto, Liverpool have all made it past last 8 in last three years. And simply law of averages suggests that for less talented teams their chances are greater playing less matches, which is what CL format has exactly done by eliminating the second group stage, and replacing that with two legged knock-out stage. So teams have to play 4 less games to make the CL final. It may not sound a lot, but believe me, if those 4 teams means playing 2 more games with Real, Barca, Lyon, Inter, Roma, Juve etc, I tell you that 6 pointer might look awfully hard.
Liverpool progressed to the final by beating Barca on away goal, Chelski on penalities, and playing poor PSV team who were out of form. So apart from PSV tie, Liverpool has failed to demonstrate clear superiority in terms of point differentials. That means their are at the knife-edge of qualifying or not qualifying in group stage - but more importantly that means they might earn the right to play in the last 8 against, not PSV, but Inter, Valencia or Bayern, followed up with Milan, Chelski, ManUre in the Semis. This is exactly why poor teams are finding it easier to progess to the latter stages of competition in last 3 years than in the past. There is simply no second chance for big teams to cover their off day. When Bayer progressed into finals, they qualified a group containing Juve, Depor and Arsenal, and beat Liverpool, ManUre. And eventually gave great Madrid team a run for their money in the final. Current Liverpool team, Porto & Monaco 2003, are nowhere near that standards.
