Presnel Kimpembe opened the scoring for PSG on Manchester United's pitch in the round of 16 first leg of the Champions League on February 12, 2019. -
Dave Thompson / AP / SIPA
We vibrated during the draw, we can't wait to get it started!
French clubs know their hen for the next Champions League, which will start on October 20.
Nothing dramatic, no hen of death, but some great matches that await us.
We summarize everything you need to remember from this draw.
The official result of the #UCLdraw!
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Most exciting group stage match?
🤔 pic.twitter.com/d7ynuEjPq3
- #UCLdraw (@ChampionsLeague) October 1, 2020
PSG face two ex
The opponents
It could be worse, but it could be better too.
Paris inherited a complicated draw which should allow them to gain momentum over the fall without normally being too much in danger of elimination.
Be careful though: PSG will be widely favorite in their group but will have to play seriously against Manchester United and Leipzig.
The English, executioner of PSG in 2019, are not exactly sovereign in their championship - a home defeat against Crystal Palace on the first day - but present a good team, with a Bruno Fernandes - Paul Pogba midfielder of immense quality.
Leipzig had not made the weight in the semi-finals of Final 8 a month ago against PSG but remains a rising value in European football.
Finally, the last team in this group, the Turkish champion Istanbul Beseksehir, should not pose too many problems in Paris.
In any case, the teams which lose points against the Turks will put themselves in danger for the qualification.
The reaction
Marquinhos, on RMC: “United and Leipzig are teams that we have already faced, which are part of our path.
It's not an easy group, we'll have to do some very good things to get through.
A lot has happened since the Manchester United game, but if take it as revenge to help motivate us, why not ”.
Our prediction
With its new status of European vice-champion, Paris no longer has the right to be afraid in this kind of group.
Even though United and Leipzig are serious customers.
Come on, we imagine Paris finishing first in its pool with 4 wins and two draws.
OM has plenty to do
Thauvin scored the winning goal for OM at the Parc des Princes on Sunday evening.
- FRANCK FIFE / AFP
The opponents
Phew!
We were a little afraid when we saw, after the hat-drawing 1, the potential opponents of OM.
The Olympian club could only meet in groups A to D, and therefore face Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Liverpool or… Porto.
It is ultimately the Portuguese club that was assigned to him, and if it will obviously not be a piece of fun against the former team of André Villas-Boas, it is still more playable.
A little less luck on the hat 2 team, with Manchester City.
But there were only big fish anyway, and OL showed that Pep Guardiola's team, as impressive as it is on paper with its 43 internationals, is sometimes crumbly in the Champions League.
The two meetings against the last opponent, Olympiakos, will have a special flavor with the presence in the camp opposite Mathieu Valbuena.
In short, it could have been a lot worse for OM, who can hope to fight for second place if things go well.
Marseille and I are linked for life!
#OM #UCL @ChampionsLeague @OM_Officiel
- Mathieu Valbuena (@ MathieuVal8) October 1, 2020
The reaction
Pablo Longoria (Deputy Managing Director in charge of football, on Téléfoot): “We exchanged messages [with Villas-Boas].
I wrote to him: "you are back home!"
It is a group in which there will be special meetings.
It's an open, interesting group, where all teams can take points against the others.
It's important to be in C1 because they are stronger teams.
Our objective is to give ourselves this continuity, to be stable and competitive in Europe.
"
Our prediction
It is time, no question of a zero point, as during the last participation of the club in 2013-2014.
But the Olympians, a little tight in terms of numbers, will have difficulty in stringing matches at European intensity.
We can see them take at least one point against City and beat Porto at home, but the Portuguese champion will be more consistent and will finish ahead, with the English club.
We go all-in on a third place, towards the Europa League.
Stade Rennais can make a mess
Very young Brandon Soppy and Eduardo Camavinga will discover the Champions League with Stade Rennais.
- Damien Meyer / AFP
The opponents
When you're hat 4, that's what comes closest to a lenient draw.
Rennes will be opposed to Sevilla, winner of the Europa League, Chelsea and Krasnodar.
If Sevilla and Chelsea seem a tone above on paper, the Londoners have not yet really started their season and taken advantage of their monster recruitment (Thiago Silva, Havertz, Werner, Ziyech).
And Sevilla are in general a fairly proportionate club for the second European Cup, which they win pretty much every year.
Finally, RĂ©my Cabella's Krasnodar is currently struggling in the Russian championship, where he is only 7th after 9 days.
In short, there is something to do for Rennes.
The reaction
Julien Stéphan, the coach of REnnes, on RMC: “The objective is simple, it is to gain experience.
We are in the last UEFA coefficients of the draw, so all the teams who imagine taking six points against us.
It's up to us to try to steal as much as possible, to play with a lot of bravery, to give everything, not to regret anything, and we'll see where that will lead us.
We don't have certainties, but yes, confidence because beyond the results, we had very interesting match content, it's really encouraging.
"
Our prediction
We can clearly see Stade Rennais offering themselves a prestigious victory at home against Chelsea, but lacking a bit of breath to go for the qualification.
Come on, a third place that returns to the Europa League, we take no?
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