If PSG won the first Champions League in its history last season, paradoxically it had to fight until the final day of the league phase to snatch its ticket for the play-offs. The fault lies with a complicated start, marked by only one victory in their first three matches.
Luis Enrique's men learned their lesson well and began this new European campaign with a bang. Winner of Atalanta Bergamo in the opening, PSG followed up with two away successes on the pitch of Barça and Bayer Leverkusen.
And with these three victories in three matches, the European champions occupy the top of the ranking, ahead of Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, Arsenal and Real Madrid thanks to their best attack or goal difference.
OM and Monaco can still believe in their qualifications for the play-offs
The big names are therefore there and according to the Football Meets Data account, PSG is one of the clubs already guaranteed to be at least in the play-offs. Like Inter Milan and Arsenal, the Parisians have a 100% chance of being among the top 24 teams at the end of the group stage, with Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Manchester City or Liverpool having to settle for 99.9% and Barça 99.5%.
According to these same statistics, PSG now also has a 91% chance of being in the Top 8, synonymous with direct access to the round of 16. Only one club does better: Arsenal with a 96% chance. Finalist last season, Inter Milan follows with 83%, ahead of Bayern Munich (78%) and Real Madrid (76%).
The situation is more complicated for the two other French representatives. Olympique de Marseille in fact have a 67% chance of making the play-offs and 3% of finishing in the Top 8 and AS Monaco, which has only two points after three days, has a 57% chance of getting their ticket to the play-offs and 1% of finishing among the top eight teams.
