“
If we had told you that we were going to win 2-1 in Turin, would you have thought that we would finish second?
A rhetorical question signed by Christophe Galtier on Wednesday, at a press conference.
Obviously, the answer is no.
A success in Italy should almost guarantee the first place in group H to Kylian Mbappé and company.
Nearly.
Except Benfica's huge card on the Maccabi Haifa pitch at the same time... And that's exactly what happened, with the fifth Portuguese goal in the 88th minute and the sixth, in the 92nd (1-6).
“
In the 90th minute, we were first.
At the 92nd, we find ourselves second
sums up Galtier.
In the end, we had to pull out the calculator to decide between Benfica and Paris Saint-Germain.
And delve into the intricacies of the Champions League regulations in Article 17 on the criteria for sorting out when two or more teams are tied on points at the end of the group stage, as here, with 14 units for both clubs.
To discover
Champions League standings
Champions League fixtures and results
UEFA first lists three criteria relating to direct confrontations, with points taken, goal difference and finally away goals scored.
Except that the two matches between PSG and Benfica ended with the same score, 1-1.
In this case, the European body takes into account better goal difference in all group matches.
+9 for both teams.
Second, the most goals scored in all group matches.
Again, Paris and Benfica are neck and neck: 16 goals.
PSG as a scout
Sixth criterion?
Most away goals scored in all group matches.
And there, there is no photo: 9 to 6. “
We knew the rules and there was this possibility.
I don't know if it had ever happened, to lose a place on the number of goals scored outside
, ”wonders Galtier.
Well no, it's a great first.
And as often, it is the Parisians who inaugurate.
"
I've been here for a long time, there's always a little thing
," quips Marquinhos.
Galtier did not feel like laughing at all when he remembered that the referees stopped their festival at the end of regulation time last week, against Haifa (7-2), while Benfica was able to continue playing despite the magnitude of the score.
"
That's also the details
," he squeaks, adding that PSG has above all conceded too many goals (7 in 6 matches, at least 1/match), especially on set pieces, "
an axis of work
”.
Read also PSG notes on the Juve field: Mbappé shows the way, Soler slips away
Also excellent against Juve, "Marqui", he is not looking for an excuse: his team did not lose their first place on Wednesday.
“
It was played out in the two matches against Benfica.
We had to win one and we didn't.
Especially the home game.
I think it was played out in that match
, ”analyzes the Brazilian captain of Paris-SG, specifying that he was not informed of the evolution of the score in the other match at the end.
Christophe Galtier, he knew.
If he brought in Hugo Ekitike and Nuno Mendes in the 68th minute, it was precisely because Benfica had just taken the lead and they had to win.
"
At the end, they (the staff) tried to warn us.
But that was the end… It doesn't matter.
We are qualified.
We came to do the work, that is not enough.
We will watch the draw and we will play to win
,” puts Kylian Mbappé into perspective.
There is indeed more than that to do.
And cross your fingers.
