The defeat conceded by PSG on Tuesday against Arsenal makes its presence in the Top 8 of the group stage of the Champions League a little more uncertain.
PSG is not the only big player in Europe to have bitten the dust on the second day of the Champions League. The day after the defeat conceded by the French champions on the pitch at the Emirates Stadium, Atletico Madrid fell to Benfica (4-0), Real Madrid lost to Lille (1-0) and Bayern Munich fell to West Ham (1-0).
Unlike the two Madrid clubs and the Bavarian giant, the Rouge et Bleu have the advantage of having lost to another big name. However, in the eyes of observers, their situation is otherwise worrying. The fault is undoubtedly a hellish schedule which will see them still face Atletico Madrid, Manchester City and Bayern Munich. Enough to make their presence in the Top 8 unlikely, synonymous with direct qualification for the round of 16.
PSG around 16th place and ahead of Monaco?
To believe choosePSG now only has a 19.3% chance of finishing among the top eight teams. This is barely more than Monaco (18.4%) and for the British statistician, the capital club should more likely finish around 16e place. If it is highly unlikely that Luis Enrique’s men will finish on pole (0.7%), outright elimination cannot be ruled out (12.1%).
Still according to Opta, Monaco, which took the scalp of Barça in the opening, could even finish ahead of PSG and Brest, which has a 71% chance of making the play-offs, the highest score among the 36 participants, should be in their wheels. Despite its prestigious victory against Real Madrid on Wednesday, Losc’s situation is more precarious with a 62% chance of being in the play-offs but also a 33% chance of remaining at the dock.
Several big names could pass through the roadblocks. Like PSG, Bayern Munich, Barça and Atletico Madrid will have to raise their heads to reach the Top 8. The fault in particular is Borussia Dortmund or Bayer Leverkusen who started the competition flat-footed.
