This Thursday, 6 p.m. in Monaco, the draw for the Champions League group stage takes place. The two French clubs involved in the competition, Paris-Saint-Germain and RC Lens, hope to be lucky. The danger is less for the capital club, in hat 1, than for the Sang et Or classified in hat 4.
In hat 1, Franck Haise’s men will above all seek to avoid Manchester City, winners last year. The Bavarian ogre, bolstered by the presence of his new goalscorer Harry Kane, also appears to be a very complicated draw. Feyenoord Rotterdam, the last winner of the Dutch championship, would be a better pick.
Composition of hat 1:
In hat 2, two clubs scare everyone. Real Madrid, multiple winners of the competition, and Inter Milan, unfortunate finalists last year. We will also have to be wary of Arsenal, a very good second in the last edition of the Premier League. Conversely, FC Porto seems to be the most takeable team in a hat at a very high level.
Composition of hat 2:
AC Milan is a scarecrow in hat 3. Led by its French contingent and in particular an Olivier Giroud in great shape, the Lombard club will not be a gift for anyone. The Rossoneri had reached the semi-finals last season. Also watch out for Lazio in Rome and their serial scorer Ciro Immobile, 2nd in a very tight 2022-2023 Italian championship.
Composition of hat 3:
Finally in hat 4, Newcastle is the team to avoid. The Magpies finished 4th in the English league last year. Saudi owners have invested heavily this summer, and hope to see their efforts pay off. Real Sociead, astonishing 4th in La Liga, could also be a nice surprise.
The composition of hat 4:
The best draw for Paris: Paris, Porto, Red Star Belgrade, Royal Antwerp (Belgium) or AEK Athens (Greece).
Worst draw for Paris: Paris, Real Madrid, AC Milan, Newcastle.
The best draw for Lens: Feyenoord Rotterdam, Porto, Red Star Belgrade, Lens.
Worst draw for Lens: Manchester City, Real Madrid, AC Milan, Lens.
