Sunday, June 4, 2023 at 9:28 PM• Jeroen van Poppel • Last update: 21:36

After the blistering denouement in the Belgian league, PSV knows all possible opponents in the preliminary round of the Champions League. The people of Eindhoven have to survive two rounds and in any case have a seeded status in the draw for the third preliminary round. PSV already knew that Olympique Marseille will be avoided, but can already be linked to KRC Genk, the number two in Belgium, in the third preliminary round. Rangers FC and Sporting Braga are possible opponents in the play-offs.

As for the opponent in the third preliminary round, there are still six options for PSV. It can become a club from the second qualifying round. In it, the number two of Belgium (KRC Genk), of Ukraine (SC Dnipro-1), of Switzerland (Servette FC) and of Greece (Panathinaikos) compete against each other. The other two options for PSV flow directly into the third qualifying round: the number two in Austria (Sturm Graz) and Serbia (TSC Backa Topola).

The draw for the play-offs will be made before the third preliminary round has been completed. That means that PSV can never play against Marseille. The number three in France is, just like the people of Eindhoven, unplaced in that draw. However, PSV can play against the number three in Portugal (Sporting Braga), the number two in Scotland (Rangers) or the opponent of those clubs in the third preliminary round.

NB: the draw for the play-offs is already done before the third preliminary round has been completed. That means that the clubs end up in the tubes in the following way. PSV is therefore guaranteed not to have a seeded status for the draw of the play-offs.