Barça or Chelsea awaits PSG. Glimpse their entire potential Champions League bracket, revealing a path through giants like Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
Although PSG qualified for the round of 16 without shining against Monaco in the playoffs, it will know its opponent this Friday during the draw in Nyon. It will be Barça or Chelsea, and we also already know the potential opponents for PSG in case of qualification for the following rounds. An overview of PSG's bracket in the Champions League.
3-2 in the first leg, a painful 2-2 in the return, PSG did not dominate Monaco excessively in the Champions League playoffs, even though it was in control of the score for most of the double confrontation against the Monégasques. But it was rather logically qualified for the round of 16.
PSG thus joins the 8 teams already directly qualified via the league phase, as well as the 7 others that went through the playoffs. But unlike the old formula, there will be no full draw in the round of 16. With the new Champions League format, each club that has already qualified for the round of 16 already knows its two potential future opponents.
Even before eliminating Monaco, PSG knew that it would face Barça or Chelsea in the round of 16. The draw this Friday, Feb. 27, at noon will determine which of the two teams PSG will face, but these are the only two possible choices. This Friday, UEFA will also draw the quarterfinals and semifinals for the future.
From this Friday, PSG will therefore have an idea of the path that awaits it in the Champions League and that will lead it, in the best case, to the final in Budapest on May 30. But before that, it will be necessary to get past Barça, the current leader of La Liga, or Chelsea, 5th in the Premier League but executioner of Paris in the Club World Cup final. Two teams that finished in fifth and sixth place in the league phase of the new Champions League format.
Then? If it makes it to the quarters, PSG will face either Galatasaray, which eliminated Juventus Turin in the playoff, or Tottenham or Liverpool. Three opponents more approachable on paper than those in the round of 16, Liverpool being 6th in the Premier League, Tottenham 16th, and Galatasaray very fragile away.
In the semifinal, the program will be much tougher as PSG could face Real Madrid, Sporting Portugal, Manchester City, Atalanta Bergamo, Arsenal, or Bayern Munich. PSG already knows it's part of the bracket, but not yet exactly all its potential opponents.
Those certain to be in PSG's half of the bracket are Galatasaray, Real Madrid, and Atalanta Bergamo, three of the eight playoff teams. There will also be Barça or Chelsea, Liverpool or Tottenham, Sporting or City, and finally Arsenal or FC Bayern. In short, big names. PSG, however, is assured of not facing Newcastle, Atletico Madrid, Bodo/Glimt, or Bayer Leverkusen before a possible final.
PSG's potential opponents in the Champions League:
- Round of 16: Chelsea or Barcelona
- Quarterfinal: Galatasaray, Tottenham or Liverpool
- Semifinal: Real Madrid, Sporting Portugal, Manchester City, Atalanta Bergamo, Arsenal, or Bayern Munich