“
We will wait for the draw calmly
“, said Christophe Galtier on Wednesday, after the Parisian victory in the Juventus stadium (1-2).
Not sure that the term is best suited, knowing that the capital club, doubled on the wire by Benfica and second in its group, will face one of the first and could fall on very heavy in the round of 16, like Manchester City or Real Madrid for example.
Bayern too.
Moreover, the Munich club is the one that Paris-SG is most likely to face according to the statistics (see below).
It is indeed not a complete draw, the 16 clubs still in contention in C1 cannot inherit a team from their group (PSG will therefore not meet Benfica) or a formation from their country.
Of course, the group winners are destined to play against runners-up, two hats for this 8th draw.
To discover
Champions League standings
Champions League fixtures and results
In any case, we imagine that the other clubs will all hope to avoid Paris, the scarecrow of the second hat with Liverpool.
“
We will watch the draw and we will play to win
”, insists Kylian Mbappé, top scorer in the competition tied with Mo Salah (7 goals).
“
There are teams that have won the Champions League by being second
“Slips Marquinhos, remembering that the Reds did it in 2019 after finishing behind … Paris in the pool.
One thing is certain: PSG will receive the first leg.
For the rest, Leo Messi, Neymar Jr and company will be fixed this Monday (from 12 p.m.).
They will no doubt hope to draw Porto or Tottenham, opponents less tough on paper than the three mentioned above.
Although, it would have to be demonstrated, in this season with many unknowns, in particular the World Cup parameter... Focus on the seven potential opponents of the champions of France.
Bayern Munich: revenge for revenge (PSG has a 19.46% chance of facing Bayern)
Unable to face their compatriots (Leipzig, Dortmund, Frankfurt) or the second in their group (Inter Milan), the Bavarians have only four potential opponents in the 8th.
For their part, the hypothesis of pulling Liverpool is the most likely (37.12).
For PSG, it is that of falling on Bayern who is most likely to arrive (19.46%).
And it would not be good news knowing that the six-time winner of the event has digested the departure of Robert Lewandowski rather well, notably winning all his matches in the “group of death” (Inter, Barça, Plzen).
A cador, a real one.
An armada reinforced by Sadio Mané and Matthijs de Ligt last summer, with Manuel Neuer, Thomas Muller and Joshua Kimmich still in charge.
Without forgetting the former PSG mascot, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting,
in (very) great form at the moment and who is going goal after goal, or even the titi Kingsley Coman, scorer in the C1 2020 final in Lisbon.
Paris had taken its revenge by dismissing the Bavarians at the quarter-final stage the following year, during the last confrontation to date between the two clubs.
League ranking: 1st
Best performance in the Champions League: winner (1974 to 1976, 2001, 2013, 2020)
Major player: Sadio Mané
Results of confrontations (the last in 2021): 6 wins, 0 draw, 5 losses (11 matches )
Read alsoHats, broadcast, statistics … Five questions before the draw for the 8th Champions League
Naples: the true-false good draw (17.11%)
Beaten in Liverpool (2-0) on the last day of the group stage but still undefeated in Serie A, the Neapolitans are in great shape.
Luciano Spalletti's men may not have the prestige of Real, City or Bayern, but it would not be a cakewalk for PSG against former Lille player Victor Osimhen and his little comrades, more than never leaders in the Italian championship standings after their Saturday victory over Atalanta Bergamo (1-2).
Fabian Ruiz would find his former partners and Salvatore Sirigu, a Parc des Princes he knows by heart.
Tanguy Ndombélé almost came there last winter, but it didn't happen in the end.
Note that Napoli have never passed the 8th stage in C1.
Clearly, the true-false good draw for PSG,
League ranking: 1st
Best performance in the Champions League: round of 16 (1991, 2012, 2017, 2020)
Major player: Victor Osimhen
Results of confrontations (the last in 2018): 1 win, 3 draws, 0 losses (4 matches )
Chelsea: a great classic (13.9%)
Chelsea is the English club that PSG has faced the most in its history.
With good and bad memories... We remember this Parisian qualification torn off in extra time, 10 against 11, and this goal by Thiago Silva in the 114th minute (2-2) in 2015. Which Thiago Silva today wears the Blues colors.
In 2014, it was less glorious, with this goal from Demba Ba at the very end of the game to crucify Paris (2-0)… In other times (2004), Didier Drogba enjoyed himself with a double at the Parc des Princes (0-3).
One thing is certain: despite a bumpy start to the season which cost a certain Thomas Tuchel, the former coach of Paris-SG, his place, the Blues look (very) good on paper.
The base of the European champions 2021 is still there,
with Raheem Sterling and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in addition, Wesley Fofana too.
Very heavy.
The form of the moment is not brilliant but between now and February and March, everything can obviously change and it would be good not to think that Chelsea are an opponent that PSG would make short work of...
League ranking: 7th
Best performance in the Champions League: winner (2012, 2021)
Major player: Raheem Sterling
Record of confrontations (the last in 2016): 3 wins, 3 draws, 2 losses (8 matches)
Manchester City: the shock of the ultra-rich (13.88%)
This would probably be the least favorable draw for Paris Saint-Germain.
A clash of the ultra-rich between the form of a derby between the Emirati Manchester City and the Qatari PSG, a duel between the two superstars of tomorrow Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé.
Two clubs which, despite colossal investments for more than 10 years and a strong domination on the national level, have not yet had the happiness of lifting the Cup with big ears.
So far, these confrontations have not really smiled on the Parisians, with eliminations in 2016 (quarters) and 2021 (halves).
At the start of last season, City also finished ahead of PSG in the group stage, sending Mauricio Pochettino's players into the clutches of Real Madrid in the round of 16.
We know the rest…
League ranking: 2nd
Best performance in the Champions League: finalist (2022)
Major player: Erling Haaland
Results of confrontations (the last in 2021): 1 win, 2 draws and 4 losses (7 matches)
Tottenham: for a first (13.88%)
PSG have never met Tottenham in the European Cup.
It would be a great first, and the opportunity to see Lucas Moura again at the Parc des Princes.
Former club of Mauricio Pochettino, Tottenham crucified OM at the last second at the Vélodrome (1-2)… without impressing.
He's not the flashiest opponent, but with the likes of Harry Kane and Heung-min Son up front, France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris as temple keeper and fiery Antonio Conte on the bench, he expect everything...
League ranking: 7th
Best performance in the Champions League: finalist (2019)
Major player: Harry Kane
Record of confrontations: none
Real Madrid: to expiate the ghosts of the past (10.98%)
PSG-Real Madrid, quite a story… We could talk about the bickering between Nasser Al-Khelaïfi and Florentino Perez, the real-false start of Kylian Mbappé in Spain or even Madrid's incredible comeback in the round of 16 last season, with a hat-trick from Karim Benzema in the second half (PSG's notes during this cataclysm here).
Triple which had knocked out Paris in every sense of the word, an earthquake which saw Leonardo and Pochettino landed.
Since then, Real has not changed much, except Aurélien Tchouaméni who took the place of Casemiro (Manchester United).
After their formidable campaign in 2021-22, Madrid are aiming for a 15th crown as King of Europe this season.
Which Madrid residents had also released Paris in the 8th in 2018, when Cristiano Ronaldo was still in business.
League ranking: 2nd (one match less)
Best performance in the Champions League: winner (1956 to 1960, 1966, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2014, 2016 to 2018, 2022)
Major player: Karim Benzema
Results of confrontations (the last in 2022): 4 wins, 3 draws, 5 losses (12 matches)
Porto: the right pick?
(11.197%)
Champions of Europe 87 under the orders of Arthur Jorge and 2004, with José Mourinho, the Dragons were still in the quarter-finals in 2021. A club that it is always good not to underestimate even if the team blows hot and cold this season, like his career in C1, with in particular a humiliation at home against Bruges (0-4), or in the league, with a modest third place.
The absence of the experienced Pepe has weighed heavily in recent weeks.
However, Porto relies on a few safe bets, including Portuguese international midfielder Otavio, the new number 1 goalkeeper for the Portuguese team Diogo Costa and Iranian striker Mehdi Taremi.
A good draw?
Maybe.
Not a little Thumb.
League ranking: 2nd
Best performance in the Champions League: winner (1987, 2004)
Major player: Diogo Costa
Record of confrontations (the last in 2018): 2 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss (4 matches)
Top hat teams
: Napoli, Bayern, Chelsea, Manchester City, Porto, Tottenham, Real Madrid, Benfica
The second hat teams
: Liverpool, Inter, AC Milan, Dortmund, Bruges, Frankfurt, Leipzig, PSG
Knockout stage schedule
:
Round of 16: February 14-15, 21-22 and March 7-8, 14-15, 2023
Quarter-finals: April 11-12 and 18-19, 2023
Semi-finals: 9-10 and 16 -17 May 2023
Final: June 10, 2023, in Istanbul
