It is often said that Paris Saint-Germain really begins its European campaign in February, when the decisive matches appear on the calendar. This year, things could be a little different. UEFA has said goodbye to the four-team group stage in the Champions League, making way for a league phase comprising 36 teams, spread from mid-September to January.
Based on data from Opta, The Analyst has ranked the teams according to the difficulty of their draw. With an average of 92.4, PSG have inherited the most difficult opponents.
It’s not so much of a surprise: the capital club will be taking on four European heavyweights, namely Atlético de Madrid and Manchester City at home and Arsenal and Bayern Munich away. Added to this already plentiful menu are two regulars in European competitions, PSV and Salzburg, and two surprise teams from last season, Girona and Stuttgart. “We were the least lucky,” Luis Enrique observed after the draw.
The Celtic Verni
According to Opta’s index, Lille have not been particularly lucky either. The computer has assigned the northern club the fifth most complex draw with the reception of clubs such as Real Madrid, Juventus and Feyenoord. Away, Bruno Genesio’s men will face Sporting, Atlético de Madrid and Liverpool to conclude the league phase.
On the Rock’s side, the chances of qualification are a priori greater given the draw. Of course, Monaco will challenge Barcelona, Arsenal or Inter. But the club from the Principality will certainly be able to pick up points against affordable opponents like Bologna, Benfica, Red Star Belgrade or Dinamo Zagreb.
Brest, for their part, are at the bottom of the ranking of the 18 teams that inherited the best draw. With Real Madrid, Barcelona, Leverkusen, PSV and Shakhtar to face, we can say that everything is relative.
The most fortunate team is none other than Celtic. The Scots will battle with Dortmund, Leipzig and Atalanta, but will look into the eyes of affordable teams like Bruges, Slovan Bratislava or Dinamo Zagreb.
- RMC Sport
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