The draw for the group stage of the Champions League took place this Thursday in Istanbul. Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique de Marseille are now sure of their future opponents.
The draw for the group stage of the Champions League has delivered its verdict! Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique de Marseille, the two French clubs qualified for this edition, now know their opponents.
PSG should not let its guard down
Unhappy finalist in 2020, the French champion will play in group H with… Juventus! For the older ones, these are painful memories because the Old Lady is the bête noire of the Red and Blue on the European scene. The last double confrontation in the 1997 Supercup, had turned into a correction (1-3, 1-6). Since then, the forces have become closer, even reversed. But the Italian formation remains a great of Europe where evolves… Angel Di Maria. The Argentine winger will cross paths with another ex as Benfica has landed in the final group of this draw. The Portuguese club, which reached the quarterfinals in 2021-2022, is also an old acquaintance of PSG with a double confrontation in the group stage in 2013-2014 (3-0 for PSG at the Parc, 2-1 for Benfica in Portugal). Finally, Paris will face Maccabi Haifa, resident of the last hat, 24 years after their last duels in the Cup of Nations (1-1, 2-3).
OM has escaped the worst
On the other hand, the French vice-champion has nothing to complain about since it will play in group D with Eintracht Frankfurt, Tottenham and Sporting Portugal. In view of its last participations in the C1, the Phocaean club will not have to swell its chest. But it can be happy to have avoided the big pieces of the stage for this first phase. It will not be easy, but to get back the most affordable team of the hat 1 can only be good news, in spite of its status of winner of the last Europa League. For their part, Spurs are the favorites of this group, while Sporting is still on a qualification for the last eight in the last edition.
Lewandowski back in Munich, jackpot for Real
The draw has produced a terrible group C where Bayern Munich will face Barcelona and Inter. A few weeks after his departure, Robert Lewandowski will already be back at his former club. If we will be entitled to clashes Liverpool-Naples, AC Milan-Chelsea or Manchester City-Dortmund, the defending champion, Real Madrid, fell into a group largely within its reach with Leipzig, Shakhtar and Celtic.
The composition of the groups
Group A: Ajax, Liverpool, Napoli, Rangers
Group B: Porto, Atletico Madrid, Leverkusen, Club Brugge
Group C: Bayern, Barcelona, Inter, Viktoria Plzen
Group D: Frankfurt, Tottenham, Sporting, OLYMPIQUE DE MARSEILLE
Group E: AC Milan, Chelsea, RB Salzburg, Dinamo Zagreb
Group F: Real Madrid, Leipzig, Shakhtar, Celtic
Group G: Manchester City, Sevilla, Dortmund, Copenhagen
Group H: PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN, Juventus, Benfica, Maccabi Haïfa
