The draw for the 2025-2026 Champions League play-offs, held Friday at noon in Nyon in Switzerland, gave PSG an opponent that speaks to everyone, against AS Monaco. After a league phase marked by the uncertainty of the new 36-team format, Paris, which had finished 11th in the standings after eight matches, was placed in seed position for the play-offs. The draw, carried out in the manner provided by UEFA (ranking 9-16 vs 17-24), thus coupled PSG with Monaco (21st). Luis Enrique’s troops will play the first leg in Monaco on February 17 or 18, before hosting the return leg at the Parc des Princes on February 24 or 25, with home advantage as top seed.
This draw comes in a context where PSG experienced a complicated end to the Champions League phase. During the 8th day, at the Parc des Princes, the Parisians conceded a draw against Newcastle (1-1), a team which was also fighting for a place in the Top 8. The capital club nevertheless dominated the match, quickly scoring a goal by Vitinha before the break, but was caught in the score just before the break, and was unable to register a second goal despite the opportunities, in particular a missed penalty by Ousmane Dembélé. This result, combined with other poor performances in recent days, left PSG out of the Top 8 (11th place), which forces them to go through these play-offs for a second consecutive season to hope to get their ticket to the round of 16.
An injustice of the Champions League format?
This 11th place, far from the ambitions displayed for a club holding the Champions League title, provoked a lot of reactions, both internally and externally. The new League phase system, with eight matches against different opponents and a single large classification, did not make the task easier for the Parisians, who faced several high-level teams in a series of trips and close duels. “ I have to be honest about this. I need to think longer and more seriously. We must be used to all situations. The Champions League is a wonderful competition that we want to win. To be fair, we should have the same schedule. Unfortunately, the last two years, we have had the type of timetable to judge this injustice. We would obviously have signed before the start of the competition to be where we are today. You have to have the best calendar. These matches are hard to win, they will determine the entire competition. Normally, in a competition, it takes a tie for all teams to win. The difference between winning and losing is fine », detailed Luis Enrique at the microphone of PSG TVa few minutes before the pre-match press conference for the clash against RC Strasbourg.
As a reminder, PSG has not played any team outside the Top 24 apart from Athletic Bilbao. Seven of the eight teams faced finished in the top 8. “ We are starting the real Champions League. If we pass, we will play the second match away. If you’re in pot 1, you’re supposed to have an advantage over pot 4. That’s my thinking. You have to analyze the calendars to be fair. Teams should have the same schedule », added Luis Enrique. At a press conference, he confirmed his words: “ I’m very happy to play Monaco, is that clear? But to make a comparison, all teams should have the same schedule to be fairer “. The schedule that PSG faces in the coming weeks is exceptionally tight and represents a major challenge after this league phase. In addition to these round-trip matches against Monaco in the play-offs, Paris must manage its season in Ligue 1, while keeping in mind that, if they qualify, the Parisians could face very big clubs like FC Barcelona or Chelsea in the round of 16 from March. This succession of confrontations poses a physical and tactical challenge to the squad, which must maintain a high level of performance despite fatigue and injuries, especially since direct elimination is now within reach from February.
