Meaning should return to European football this week as the rambling and incoherent first phase finally draws to a close.
A grand total of 126 games have already been played and the Champions League comes down to whether Manchester City can beat Club Brugge at home or whether Paris Saint-Germain could be a Cropper in Stuttgart.
There is a little more in the Europa League, but there always is and that is where the intrigue ends. Some clubs may have a playoff round they prefer to avoid, but all 12 of the 36 teams live to fight another day.
There seems to be a lot more jetting around Europe for no reason to me, although I am aware that there is a lot of love for it, particularly emanating from the world of television where dizzying pundits, including some of the most influential voices in football, showering with overpeniocusm.
Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards are riding high on the new dawn. Gary Lineker is intoxicated by the new concept that it's almost February and Celtic are still in it. Normally level-headed ally McCoist is seven game days deep and confesses failing to find everything a little more appealing than he expected.
This is, lest we forget, a format designed for television. Those who own or work for television companies will surely find their taste. Just like those who watch their football on television.
Celtic have benefited from the new format, still finding themselves in Europe in February
It has been a struggle for Pep Guardiola and Manchester City in Europe but qualification remains in their own hands as they aim to beat Club Brugge at home this week
Barcelona star Raphinha celebrates scoring a 96th minute as they beat Benfica 5-4
As long as they can keep at various start times and remember there is a hidden game on Amazon Prime.
More teams, more games, more 'big showdowns' between global giants showcasing the world's most famous players. That was UEFA's vision, a consolation to appease those tempted by the escape from the Super League and they will feel that they have achieved their objective.
In each competition, there are 36 teams not 32 involved for five months of the year, not four, with four lucrative home games, not three and 12 teams in the first outing, not 16.
The warm additional layers of comfort and financial security, along with a fixture format no one can understand until the clouds part at this stage, provide a carefree air similar to pre-season friendlies.
Less danger and more exposure, the line is good.
There was a touch of Harlem Globetrotters on Barcelona 5 Benfica 4. Even the referee leaned down to protect the audience's darlings from the armchair.
Caution has gone with the wind. Draws have dropped from more than 40 percent last season to just over 25 percent in the Champions League and goals have increased, although they are not 3.22 per game.
However, the trends are not reflected in the Europa League, where goals per game have fallen and draws have almost doubled.
Aston Villa sit just outside the automatic qualification places after their defeat by Monaco
The format has been pushed out by the likes of Amazon Prime, anchored here by Gabby Logan
The Champions League, won last year by Real Madrid, always delivers in the elimination stages
It's true that football should be about goals and fun and entertainment. Part of me thinks I should relax and say it like the team of experts. Enjoy the party and stop lamenting the strange sporting pleasure of a goalless draw in a far away city.
And that would be easier if it weren't for the persistent concern about football drifting, loosening the ties that bind the English pyramid system, removing traditions to make room for a bloated mass of corporate event spectaculars with choreographed anthems, loud ticket prices and no senior concessions.
One more step towards becoming a television sport. Next up, the Club World Cup when FIFA gets its take on all this. Good luck to the players trying to stay fit enough for 10 years at the top and to hell with the match fans.
Still, at least there is meaning this week. We all know that the elimination stages will be brilliant. They are always due to the consequence. Elite cup soccer elite with instant danger never fails.
Ange Postecoglou wants bigger squad sizes to help clubs cope with a congested schedule, but Tottenham would help themselves by simply maximizing the numbers available.
They started this season by naming just 23 in the Premier League squad, limited to 25 senior players. Four of these were goalkeepers.
Among the 19 outfield players, there was Max Robson, a 22-year-old utility player who has never been in the first team, Sergio Reguilon, who they have been desperate to sell for two years, and DJed Spence, who didn't look A interested until he was the last resort.
That's 16 outfield players who started the season in the manager's plans, compounded by the fact they haven't provided enough criticism through the academy for years.
Ange Postecoglou (right) has been forced to rely too much on youngsters like Archie Gray
Those on the under-21 list such as Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall and Mikey Moore are gifted players, but precious young stars must be protected and used carefully. After three months on the team, Gray and Bergvall could do with a break.
The injury crisis is extreme at Spurs, they have lost the key men in the backbone of the team, but they knew the risk of entering the light of the season, they made a mistake and have paid a price.