Christophe Jallet, former Paris Saint-Germain right-back (40), shared his thoughts in Le Parisien after the Champions League league-phase draw (Atalanta, FC Barcelona, Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich, Tottenham, Athletic Bilbao, Sporting Portugal and Newcastle). According to him, PSG face a particularly tough group and will need to start strong to avoid the mistakes of last season.
Jallet: “I think it’s tougher than last season’s draw”
“It’s another very tough draw. I think it’s more difficult than last season’s. PSG will be playing high-level matches against teams that have been very well established for many years. Facing the pot 4 club, Bilbao, who reached a Europa League semi-final last season, is no small task.
There are also teams they’ve struggled against, like Newcastle (4-1 defeat at the end of 2023). It’s definitely not the easiest draw, but they now have the status of favorites to live up to. And perhaps it’s better to inherit such a draw than to end up with more ‘exotic’ destinations?”
Jallet: “They’ll have to perform right away”
A good way to get straight into the rhythm?
“They’ll be playing very high-level matches, which will throw them straight into the deep end. But in a season where you potentially need to rotate because of fatigue, limited holidays and a short preparation, it will be harder to do that given the schedule.
They’ll need to perform well straight away in order to manage things later and avoid repeating last season’s mistakes, when PSG got off to a poor start. To secure a place in the top 24, they’ll need to start strongly to build a cushion.”
Jallet: “They have the ability to do the double”
Paris aiming for another title?
“Very few clubs have managed to win back-to-back titles, and it’s always complicated to predict a potential winner so early in the season. Of course, based on the squad’s quality and what they showed last year, they have the ability to do the double. But honestly, it would be putting the cart before the horse to say they’re going to win it.”
Undeniably, PSG have a challenging schedule (full fixture list available here). There are no “small games” against unknown clubs. That’s not necessarily a disadvantage, though — those matches can be tricky, especially away from home. Paris won’t have room to relax if they want to finish at the top of the table. The last time that mindset set in, it still ended with a trophy.
It’s worth remembering that PSG have a superb squad, and that their opponents also (perhaps especially) feel they’ve been handed a difficult draw. They have strengths too, and nothing will be easy for Paris — that’s the logic of this competition. Still, Luis Enrique and his players have plenty of resources.
Not to mention that some clubs, despite enjoying great European moments in recent years, are now in various stages of rebuilding: Atalanta (with coach Gian Piero Gasperini leaving for AS Roma this summer), Sporting Portugal (who lost coach Rúben Amorim as well as top scorers Viktor Gyökeres and Conrad Harder in recent months), and Bayer Leverkusen (who overhauled their squad, saw Xabi Alonso depart for Real Madrid, and already dismissed his successor Erik ten Hag).
For PSG, failing to qualify — at least as play-off contenders — would be a huge disappointment. As reigning European champions, they need to be up to the task..
