The first of an occasional series on Arsenal's Champions League rivals 

For this particualr feature we focus on PSG and how their Champions League journey has gone so far?

PSG lost some key players in the last few seasons: Neymar, Leo Messi, Kylian Mbappè… they don’t play under the Eiffel Tower anymore. The team, however, is still very competitive and has important ambitions. It’s no secret that the French side aspires to win the Champions League. PSG has been a top European club for years, but never left its mark in the biggest football tournament on the planet. They played in the final, but lost. Can this 2024/2025 season finally be their year?

What do the bookmakers think?

 Taking a closer look at the odds on the Champions League, and on PSG in particular, we can see how the Parisians are given in the top 5 teams to lift the silverware at the end of May. They can obviously aspire to win the competition. It will therefore be curious to see how the odds will evolve, as the next matches on the schedule get close, with the first phase of the tournament nearing its end. To keep up to date with the latest results and the condition of the favourites you can check the odds and bet with Oddschecker. On the site you are going to find the latest news and the best odds to place your bet on who you think is going to triumph. If you are thinking about siding with PSG, let’s check how the French are faring so far.

PSG’s journey in the Champions League hasn’t been so smooth

 The French side clearly hasn’t been at its best in this edition of the Champions League. For now, at least. They won their first match against Girona, a team who played extraordinary football last year but is now in shambles. They lost badly (2-0) against a good Arsenal side and, in the third leg, they got only a 1-1, at home, against PSV Eindhoven. With 4 points, PSG is not in a terrible spot but is not eyeing the direct qualification reserved for the best 8 teams in the League.

 As you probably already know, starting this year the Champions League has a new format. The teams don’t play anymore in several groups of 4. There is just a big group and everyone who qualifies enters the table. The qualified teams are now 36. At the end of the first phase, where every side plays 8 matches, UEFA checks the table. The first 8 teams go directly to the round of 8 and wait there for their challengers. Whoever occupies the positions from 9 to 24 must face an additional round of 16. The teams winning in this phase meet the first 8 in the round of 8. At this point, the format is identical to the old one.

 The first phase could be more dangerous for the best teams, because they could be upsetted by revelations. PSG hopes to avoid this worst-case-scenario, by winning the remaining five games.

Fixture for PSG

 The problem for the Parisians is that their remaining schedule is pretty difficult. They face Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich in November; Salzburg in December; Manchester City and Stuttgart in January. Their coach, Luis Enrique, knows very well that his team must stay sharp, otherwise they may risk a lot. Obviously, PSG has enough talent to win their round of 16 and land right in the round of 8, but of course, if you play less you stay less fatigued and relatively safer, because you avoid facing an ulterior opponent.

 On the pitch, the team is getting better and has probably found a solution in midfield, where the trio of Joao Neves, Vitinha and Zaïre-Emery looks gifted and very promising. The three youngsters play very well together and may mean trouble for the opponents. At least, that’s what PSG supporters hope.