French Clubs Eye European Qualification This Week

Major French clubs are turning their attention to European competitions this week, with Paris Saint-Germain, Olympique Lyonnais, Olympique Marseille, Monaco, and Lille all striving to secure qualification in various continental tournaments. This crucial round comes as these clubs aim to strengthen their standing on the European stage.

In the Champions League, Paris Saint-Germain, currently third with 13 points, has an opportunity to qualify directly for the round of 16. This requires them to defeat Sporting in Lisbon on Tuesday, alongside a combination of other results. Meanwhile, Olympique Marseille, in sixteenth place with 9 points, and Monaco, nineteenth with the same tally, can secure a spot in the Champions League play-offs by achieving victories against Liverpool on Wednesday and Real Madrid on Tuesday, respectively, coupled with positive outcomes in other fixtures.

In the Europa League, Olympique Lyonnais, who lead their group with 15 points, have already secured qualification for the play-offs. They can reach the round of 16 directly by beating Bern on Thursday, provided Roma and Stuttgart draw. In contrast, Lille, currently twentieth with 9 points, needs to win against Celta Vigo on Thursday and rely on other results to guarantee a play-off spot. Nice, however, has exited European competitions after failing to secure any points. Strasbourg, on the other hand, has directly qualified for the Europa Conference League round of 16 after topping their group stage.