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The draw for the first phase of the Champions League took place this Thursday. Here are the opponents of the French clubs.
There was a whiff of novelty in Monaco on Thursday evening for the traditional drawing ceremony for the
Champions League. While the prestigious tournament always began with a group stage, this formula is well and truly over. Gone are the 8 groups of 4 teams, each club will have to face 8 opponents in a single group bringing together 36 teams.
This regular season will therefore be played in the form of a mini-European championship in which the first 8 will qualify directly for the round of 16. From 9th to 24th place, all teams will have to go through the play-off box, with a correlation applied to the ranking: the 9th will meet the 24th, the 10th the 23rd etc. Clubs finishing beyond 24th place will be eliminated from all European competitions. There is no longer a repechage in the Europa League.
Very heavy for PSG
If the competition format is changing, the draw ceremony also included some new features. The draw was indeed semi-automatic, with a computer to avoid too long a waiting time. The 4 hats were still relevant. Unsurprisingly, PSG was obviously the best placed French club, but it was not spared by the draw.
The PSG program:
PSG-Manchester City
Bayern Munich-PSG
PSG-Atletico Madrid
Arsenal-PSG
PSG-PSV Eindhoven
Salzburg-PSG
PSG-Girona
Stuttgart-PSG
Lille, Monaco and Brest
For their part, LOSC, ASM and Stade Brestois will be multiplying prestigious meetings. Placed in the 3rd pot, Lille will have a card to play for qualification, just like the club from the Principality. Brest’s program promises to be even more copious.
The Lille program:
Lille-Real Madrid
Liverpool-Lille
Lille-Juventus Turin
Atletico Madrid-Lille
Lille-Feyenoord Rotterdam
Sporting CP-Lille
Lille-Sturm Graz
Bologna-Lille
The Monaco program:
Monaco-Barcelona
Inter Milan-Monaco
Monaco-Benfica Lisbon
Arsenal-Monaco
Monaco-Red Star
Dynamo Zagreb-Monaco
Monaco-Aston Villa
Bologna-Monaco
The Brest program:
Brest-Real Madrid
Barcelona-Brest
Brest-Leverkusen
Shakhtar Donetsk-Brest
Brest-PSV Eindhoven
Salzburg-Brest
Brest-Sturm Graz
Sparta Prague-Brest
As a reminder, the final schedule for this first phase will be revealed this Saturday, with the order of matches for each club involved.
Written by:
Manu Tournoux is a passionate and knowledgeable football enthusiast with a special focus on French football. Born and raised in France, Manu discovered his love for the beautiful game at a young age and developed a deep understanding of the ins and outs of "Le Championnat." His French roots and extensive experience in football journalism have made him an invaluable asset to the French Football Weekly team.
 
 As an author for the website, Manu's expertise includes not only in-depth analysis of Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 matches but also insightful profiles of up-and-coming talents, detailed transfer news, and engaging coverage of the French national team. His captivating writing style and undeniable passion for the game have earned him a loyal following among our readers.
 
 When he's not crafting engaging articles for French Football Weekly, Manu enjoys attending live matches whenever he can, exploring football culture in various French cities, and engaging in spirited debates with fellow fans. Feel free to follow Manu on Twitter and interact with him as he shares his expert opinions, insights, and love for French football.
