PSG, very heavy in the round of 16!

At the end of the breathtaking final in Dortmund (1-1), PSG finished second in their Champions League group and will challenge a group winner. It could be Bayern, Manchester City or Real Madrid!

This PSG knows this situation too well. In 2022 as in 2023, the Parisians finished second in their Champions League group before falling on hard times in the round of 16 and being eliminated by Real Madrid then Bayern. The Rouge et Bleu also failed to win their group this season. They had the opportunity to do so but came up against Dortmund (1-1) on Wednesday in Germany (avoiding elimination due to Newcastle’s defeat against Milan).

The Parisian team will therefore be placed in the second hat during the draw for the round of 16 of the competition, next Monday (12 p.m.). The hat of the top seeds is very, very high. PSG can therefore find Bayern, Real Madrid or even Manchester City, the title holder. It won’t be easy either against Arsenal, one of the best teams in the Premier League (coached by a former PSG player, Mikel Arteta), and Diego Simeone’s Atlético (led by a fiery Antoine Griezmann).

The last two possible opponents for Kylian Mbappé and his teammates? A lackluster Barça this season (the Blaugranas are 4th in Liga) and a Real Sociedad which finished at the top of its group ahead of Inter Milan. The Basques are only sixth in the Spanish championship, with only eight victories in 16 days. The round of 16 is scheduled for February 13, 14, 20 and 21 for the first legs and March 5, 6, 12 and 13 for the returns.

Group winners: Bayern, Arsenal, Real Madrid, Real Sociedad, Atlético de Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City, FC Barcelona
Group runners-up: Copenhagen, PSV, Napoli, Lazio, PSG, Leipzig, Porto