As Paris Saint-Germain prepares to face Salzburg this Tuesday night (9 PM), questions arise regarding the number of points needed to secure a spot in the Champions League playoffs. Here are some insights.
The club’s record so far in this Champions League campaign stands at one win, one draw, and three losses, placing PSG far below expectations for a team that reached the semi-finals in the last edition and is still considered among the contenders for the title.
Consequently, ahead of Matchday 6 in the Champions League, the capital club finds itself in 25th position with only four points on the board. The French champions are on the brink of qualifying for the Champions League playoffs, which are available to the top 24 clubs after the eight matchdays, but they currently trail Real Madrid, who sit in 24th with six points, and Dinamo Zagreb, who are 23rd with seven points.
Read more:
Celtic’s On-loan Bernabei Shines in Brazil: What Lies Ahead?
PSG Bids Farewell to the Top 8
With such a poor start to the campaign, the Top 8, which qualifies directly for the round of 16 of the Champions League, now seems out of reach as Paris already lags six points behind the eighth-placed team, with only three games remaining.
So, how many points does PSG need to make it to the latter stages of this prestigious European competition? Let’s analyze the schedule. Luis Enrique’s men face RB Salzburg tonight (32nd, 3 points), then host Manchester City (17th, 8 points), before traveling to play (27th, 4 points) at the end of January 2025.
PSG’s Chances of Qualification
According to projections from Football Meets Data, a team with 11 points would almost certainly secure a top 24 finish (97.8%). With ten points, gained through two wins for PSG, there would be very high chances (87%) of qualifying for the Champions League playoffs, though this would not be guaranteed.
Read more:
Ademola Lookman Eager for Premier League Move
Naturally, the chances diminish with 9 points and 8 points, but qualification would still be possible. Football Meets Data indicates a 46% chance of qualifying with 9 points and just 11% with 8 points. However, with only 7 points, qualification would be miraculous, with current projections showing a mere 0.3% chance.
Paris Needs Two Wins
In summary, PSG must win at least two of their last three matches to have a strong chance of qualifying for the next stage of the competition, and they would be nearly assured of a spot with two wins and a draw. Of course, three victories would guarantee PSG’s place in the Champions League playoffs.
Thus, the match this Tuesday night against Salzburg, likely the most manageable of the three, emerges as a pivotal encounter for the future of the capital club in the Champions League; any result other than victory would jeopardize PSG’s ambitions. Fortunately for them, Luis Enrique appears to have found the key to beating Salzburg.
