Mbappé back in Paris?

With three more days to go in the brand new “league phase” of the Champions League at 36 teams, nothing is done. Kylian Mbappé's Real Madrid and PSG (without Mbappé) are in bad shape. Finishing in the top 8 (to end up directly in the round of 16) seems almost impossible, but the Merengues, 24th, and Luis Enrique's team, 25th and virtually eliminated, still have every chance of qualifying for the rest of the festivities by finishing in the top 24. The two teams could then meet again in the play-offs scheduled for next February.

In this new formula of the Champions League, the table for the knockout phase is already defined but with two possible paths for each qualifier. A draw will be made before the second round. For example, the 9th or 10th will face the 23rd or 24th, the 11th or 12th will play the 21st or 22nd, the 13th or 14th will challenge the 19th or 20th and the 15th or 16th will face the 17th or 18th. The play-off players will then know their possible opponent in the round of 16. Surviving the play-offs 15th/16th versus 17th/18th offers a shock against first or second in the league stage standings, which could be Liverpool, Inter Milan or Barca.

Mbappé expected by the Parc des Princes

PSG and Real Madrid have little chance of finishing around 10th place, but they can therefore compete in the play-offs by finishing 15th or 16th and 17th or 18th (or even 13th or 14th and 19th or 20th), for a big return of Kylian Mbappé to the Parc des Princes, facing his former club for seven years (where he is now the best in the club's history).

During the last three days of the first phase, the Merengues will travel to Atalanta in less than two weeks, before playing Salzburg (32nd) and Stade Brestois (in Guingamp on January 29), while Paris Saint -Germain must absolutely win in Salzburg on December 10 before a shock against Manchester City at the Parc and a final match in Stuttgart at the end of January.