Lyon and Paris configured on their fate on Monday
The Lyonnaises, reigning champions, and Paris SG entered the final table via the play-offs, will know their opponents in the Champions League on Monday after the draw (1:00 p.m.) at the headquarters of Uefa, in Nyon. OL, eight-time winners of the event after their victory over Barcelona (3-1) last May, is accompanied in the first hat by the champion clubs of the three best European nations exempt from the play-offs, Wolfsburg and Chelsea. The presence in this hat of the Catalans, despite coming from the fourth European nation, is due to the fact that OL are both reigning European champions and champions of France (third nation in the Uefa ranking).
The Lyonnaises, trained by Sonia Bompastor, are still leaving with the favors of the forecasts since they have recorded some significant reinforcements: the German Sara Däbritz, defector from PSG, and the Danish striker Signe Bruun, back from Manchester United. However, they will have to do without Griedge M’Bock for six months, injured in his right knee on September 13 with the France team.
In the second hat are a few regulars like PSG, Bayern Munich and Arsenal, all title contenders, plus surprising Czech side Slavia Prague. The Parisiennes had to go through tricky play-offs, but in the end well negotiated with two victories against the Swedes of BK Häcken (2-1 in Paris and 2-0 in Gothenburg). Pot 3 is not lacking in customers like Juventus, who have been making steady progress in recent years, and Real Madrid, who have invited themselves to the continental top flight for the second time in a row. In the last hat is a second Italian team, AS Roma, as well as clubs that do not usually play for the title like Zürich (Switzerland), Vllaznia (Albania) and Benfica (Portugal).
Two teams from the same country cannot be in the same group. The two best from each group will be directly qualified for the quarter-finals in a round-trip match. The group stage will begin on October 19 and 20, the start of a marathon which will have its epilogue on June 3 or 4, 2023 at the PSV Stadion in Eindhoven.
Hats :
Pot 1: Lyon (FRA, defending champion), Wolfsburg (GER), Chelsea (ENG), Barcelona (ESP)
Pot 2: Paris Saint-Germain (FRA), Bayern Munich (GER), Slavia Prague (RTC), Arsenal (ENG)
Pot 3: Rosengård (SWE), Juventus Turin (ITA), Real Madrid (ESP), St. Pölten (AUT)
Hat 4: Zürich (SUI), Vllaznia Shkodër (ALB), Benfica (POR), AS Roma (ITA)