While PSG will be the big favorite of the next Champions League, after its successful success in the final against Inter (5-0), OM and AS Monaco, the other two French qualifiers (perhaps waiting for the OGC Nice, opposed to Benfica in the 3rd qualifying round), will certainly have more harm. Ligue 1 training has a good chance of inheriting one or even two opponents from Premier League and Liga. It is mathematical, because there are five English and five Spaniards and a team cannot challenge a club in their country.
For Monegasques and Marseille, the draw on Thursday, August 28, could be terrible. They will face two seeds (one at home, one outside) among Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern, Liverpool, Inter, Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund and BarƧa. Only the BVB will be an affordable opponent.
It will then be necessary to avoid Arsenal, AtlƩtico, Atalanta, Juventus or Leverkusen in hat 2 or Napoli, Tottenham and Sporting in the 3 and even Bilbao and Newcastle in the last pot! That said, Lille had one of the most difficult routes last year, with Real, Liverpool, AtlƩtico, Juve, Sporting and Bologna, and had finished 7th to rise directly in the round of 16.
OM in Azerbaijan?
OM and ASM will still be more likely to finish in the Top 24 if they are spared during the draw for the first phase. Supporters of the two clubs may follow the third qualifying round and then the Dams of the C1 in order to find out the last seven potential opponents. According to projections of account x Football meets dataBenfica and Club Bruges will be qualified at the end of the dams between non-champions.
In the national champions table, statistical calculations now give Qarabag among the five qualified at the expense of Sturm Graz. The four clubs that will move to Azerbaijan will be left for an endless journey in the Caucasus including 10 hours by plane. For Football meets dataQarabag, a club that plays in Baku, will release the Macedonians of Shkƫndija in the 3rd qualifying round then the survivor of Ferencvaros-Ludogorests in dams.
