While PSG has the second most difficult draw of the brand new “league phase” of the Champions League, with clashes against Arsenal, Atlético, Bayern and Manchester City (no less), Real Madrid, on the other hand, are the best-off clubs. The reigning C1 champion has inherited one of the easiest paths if we take into account the UEFA coefficients of its opponents. This should allow the Merengues, reinforced by Kylian Mbappé, to stock up on points to finish in the top 8 of the general classification.
Real Madrid will travel to Anfield to face Mohamed Salah’s Liverpool on November 27, but that is probably the only real clash on the schedule. While Borussia Dortmund will come to the Bernabéu on October 22 for a rematch of the last final, the German representative is not necessarily stronger than last spring. Mats Hummels, Jadon Sancho and Niclas Füllkrug are no longer there. AC Milan will also travel to the Spanish capital and the Rossoneri, too, have not put the means to strengthen their squad. The Lombard club was once again unable to afford the services of a star striker, settling for Alvaro Morata.
Real Madrid against Losc and Brest
The Spanish champions will not have to miss out, however, as they will also face Gian Piero Gasperini’s Atalanta, winners of the Europa League (and beaten in the European Super Cup in mid-August), as well as Stuttgart, Lille at Pierre-Mauroy, Salzburg and Stade Brestois at Guingamp, on the final day on January 29. Young Boys Bern have the “easiest” draw in terms of the average UEFA coefficients, with Inter, Barça, Atalanta, Shakhtar, Red Star, Celtic, Aston Villa and Stuttgart as opponents.
Real Madrid are often singled out for benefiting from (many) favourable refereeing decisions as well as rather lenient draws in the group stage or in the round of 16 (because they are also top of the group). Carlo Ancelotti’s players, for example, inherited a group composed of Napoli, Braga and Union Braga last year and Leipzig, Shakhtar and Celtic in 2022. You have to go back to 2019 to see Real Madrid fall into a group of death with PSG (3-0 defeat and 2-2 draw).
