Champions League Briefing: Can Anyone Stop PSG Winning Three in a Row? How Does Mourinho Still Do It?
Quick summary
An editorial briefing examining PSG's bid for a third consecutive Champions League title, with a focus on Real Madrid as their main challengers and a look at Mourinho's continued impact at Shakhtar.
Full article
Attributed to original sourceWith 46 goals scored across the nine matches, our columnist picks out three big talking points from Wednesday's Champions League action
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What happened
This New York Times/The Athletic briefing previews the broader Champions League landscape heading into the competition's group/league phase. The central question is whether any team can prevent PSG from lifting a third straight European Cup after their recent back-to-back triumphs. Real Madrid are framed as the most credible historical challenger, while a separate angle examines how José Mourinho continues to compete at the top level, now with Shakhtar Donetsk. The piece combines tactical, narrative, and competitive analysis across multiple storylines.
Chance analysis
Three-peat bids are rare in modern European football, and the framing of PSG as the team to beat signals how their recent dominance has reset expectations in the Champions League. Spotlighting Mourinho and Shakhtar alongside the PSG–Madrid axis suggests the briefing is interested in both dynastic storylines and underdog currents, giving readers a wide-angle view of where the competition stands rather than a single match breakdown. For followers of European football, it frames the season's defining tension: continuity of PSG's reign versus the sport's instinct to dethrone champions.
No direct match or team impact — this is a framing piece that reinforces PSG's status as Champions League favorites and highlights Mourinho's Shakhtar as a notable subplot.