In both recent clashes, the capital club put on a show against Celje. With an 11-goal lead at the final whistle in both matches, our Rouge et Bleus have gained in confidence, certainly, but more importantly have secured their place in the main round. In the other Group C fixture, Aalborg’s last-gasp victory over Zagreb saw the Scandinavians also book their place in the next round of the competition.
For both Aalborg and Paris, however, the remainder of this group stage is by no means without significance. As the two sides beat Celje and Zagreb respectively on Matchday 4, the Parisians' clash against the Danes at Coubertin on 28 October will be decisive! This is because, of the two teams that qualify from each of the eight groups, only the winner will start the main round with two points. Having drawn in Denmark on Matchday 1, Paris will therefore be looking to secure a win to begin the next stage of the competition with a slight advantage.
After four matchdays, Paris boast the best attack in the Champions League. With 143 goals scored, Stefan Madsen’s men are just ahead of Füchse Berlin (141). The two-legged tie against Celje (87 goals scored) went a long way towards boosting the capital club’s statistics, which so far show an impressive 72 per cent success rate. Among the key contributors to this fine collective achievement is Elohim Prandi, who, with 28 goals in four matches, sits fifth on the scorers chart.
With two matchdays remaining in the group stage, the main round is beginning to take shape. Our Parisian side will join Group A alongside Aalborg, but will not face the Danes. The result of this two-legged tie during the group stage will count as the result. Following the draw in the first leg (33-33), the winner of the return leg at Coubertin on 28 October will start the main round with two points.
Stefan Madsen’s men will also face Veszprém, who secured their qualification this week after maintaining their perfect record in Group A. They are thus ahead of Füchse Berlin, who are expected to qualify because they currently boast a four-point lead over Porto with two matchdays remaining. The identities of the final two teams remain to be seen, as Group B is particularly tight. Plock and Nantes lead the way on six points, but Melsungen are keeping the pressure on, just two points behind, whilst Vardar are officially out of the running.
