Champions League Draw: PSG, Lens, and Lille Learn Their Opponents

French clubs learn their Champions League opponents in Monaco

On Thursday, in Monaco, the Champions League draw revealed the future adversaries for the French football clubs PSG, Lens, and Lille. The event, kicked off at 6 PM, was highlighted by UEFA honoring Marquinhos for his exemplary behavior during the last final where Paris Saint-Germain triumphed over Arsenal. Absent due to preparations for an upcoming Ligue 1 match in Lille, Nasser al-Khelaïfi accepted the award on behalf of Marquinhos.

High-profile matches for PSG

Thierry Henry was awarded the UEFA President’s Prize by Aleksander Ceferin. Together with Spanish footballer David Villa, Henry conducted the draw. PSG, placed in the first pot, will face notable teams such as FC Barcelona, Manchester City, AS Roma, Aston Villa, Galatasaray, Villarreal, Slovan Bratislava, and Côme. The league phase begins on September 8, with the detailed schedule expected by Saturday.

Challenging fixtures for Lens

Lens, last season’s runners-up, will also meet Manchester City. Their fixtures include matches against Liverpool, Sporting, Bruges, Bodo/Glimt, Leipzig, Côme, and Slavia Prague. Lens is gearing up for a challenging series of games.

Lille’s formidable opponents

Lille is set to encounter some of Europe’s top teams, including Bayern Munich and Arsenal. Additional fixtures include Betis, AS Roma, Galatasaray, Bodo/Glimt, Slovan Bratislava, and Stuttgart. The team is preparing for a rigorous test in the upcoming phase.

Group stage details

• PSG’s matches: FC Barcelona (home), Manchester City (away), AS Roma (home), Aston Villa (away), Galatasaray (home), Villarreal (away), Bratislava (home), Côme (away).
• Lille’s matches: Bayern Munich (home), Arsenal (away), Betis (home), Roma (away), Galatasaray (home), Bodo/Glimt (away), Slovan Bratislava (home), Stuttgart (away).
• Lens’ matches: Manchester City (home), Liverpool (away), Sporting (home), Bruges (away), Bodo/Glimt (home), Leipzig (away), Côme (home), Slavia Prague (away).

  By the end of the league phase, teams placed between the 25th and 36th positions will be eliminated without a chance to enter the Europa League. Conversely, those finishing in the top eight will move directly to the round of 16, gaining the advantage of being seeded. Teams ranked from 9th to 24th will need to compete in play-offs for progression.