“We have the ambition and the duty to finish first to wait for a more lenient draw.
Christophe Galtier summed up well on Tuesday at a press conference the only issue of PSG's final Champions League group match on Wednesday evening (9 p.m.) on the lawn of Juventus Turin.
If Paris has already qualified for the round of 16 thanks to its demonstration against Maccabi Haifa (7-2) a week ago at the Parc des Princes, it must not let the group's head escape in Italy.
Here are the basic data: before kick-off, Lionel Messi and his partners have as many points, eleven, as Benfica Lisbon.
The two teams are no more separated on their direct confrontations, first criterion of the UEFA regulations to decide between the ex-aequo, since French and Portuguese separated on a score of 1-1 during their two confrontations.
As it stands, PSG are in the lead ahead of Lisbon thanks to a better general goal difference: + 8, against + 4.
Only an unlikely scenario would put Paris second in the event of victory
To sum up, Paris is therefore guaranteed to finish first if it achieves a better result in Turin than Benfica on the trip to Maccabi Haifa.
The challenge is the same for the Israelis and the Italians, in the fight for third qualifying place in the Europa League, for the moment taken by the Turinese.
In the event of a Parisian victory combined with a Portuguese success, PSG can count on its cozy cushion of goal difference to retain its first place.
Except if successful Lisbon River.
Example: if PSG wins 1-0, and Benfica wins by five goals in Haifa, the Portuguese would still pass in front of PSG thanks to the number of away goals scored.
But we are talking here about a very hypothetical case.
PSG have every interest in finishing first in their group to avoid big teams in the round of 16.
Bayern Munich, Manchester City, and Chelsea are already guaranteed to finish there, while Real Madrid, who host Celtic Glasgow on Wednesday night, are on waivers.
