Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice. (Source: Reuters)
It is always silly to call any team other than Real Madrid favourites in a Champions League match at the Santiago Bernabeu but that was the notion before this match. It was strengthened when Adrien Rabiot put PSG in front in the first half and PSG put Real Madrid on the backfoot. But two Cristiano Ronaldo goals and a Marcelo beauty showed that Real Madrid despite their questionable league form, remain the force to beat in the Champions League. PSG still have a valuable away goal and it is down to them to put that advantage to use during the return leg.
Real Madrid 3-1 PSG, Match Highlights
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Neymar made a final attempt at goal for a penultimate kick of the game and Sergio Ramos does enough to parry it over the line and the referee blows the whistle for full time. It was a see-saw of a match but PSG still unable to seal the deal away from home to a traditional European power. Zidane's substitutions paid off, particularly that of Marco Asensio.
Marcelo, the brilliant Marcelo. He arrives in the box on time for another brilliant pass from Asensio and turns it in to make Real favourites to advance now. Asensio has changed the game since coming on
Try keeping HIM out of the game! Marco Asensio charges down the left flank and tries to find Ronaldo all the way the other side of the field, two PSG defenders unable to do anything but the third puts a foot to stop it from reaching its target, it goes back to Asensio, who puts it back in and Areola unable to get a hold on, Ronaldo does well to push it into goal
Substitutions for Real: Casemiro goes off for Lucas Vasquez, Isco off for Marco Asensio
How close was that! Berchiche receives a pass from Neymar and makes a pass along the ground from the left towards the right diagonally across the box, Mbappe and Dani Alves stretch for it but both are unable to get to it. Real were caught out completely there
It's all about Real Madrid's defence at the moment. Dani Alves, Neymar, Mbappe and co are raining in balls of all shapes, sizes and angles, Varane and Ramos have done well to keep them all out so far
Neymar tries to get a cross into the box and it clatters onto the side of the referee's head point blank. He stops the play looking a little disoriented.
MInutes earlier, Benzema had been robbed a chance to score off an Isco cross as it was picked off his feet by the PSG keeper. Cavani goes off for Meunier while Benzema subbed off for Bale
Adrien Rabiot seems to have taken down Luka Modric just outside the box and replays show he has dived like a swimmer, Ronaldo to take, and he crashes it onto the wall. Meanwhile, Gareth Bale is getting ready to come on
Rabiot shoots a volley from a cross and that hits Sergio Ramos' hand to be deflected away. PSG appeal for handball but the referee has none of it. Little Ramos could have done to get his hand out of the way. PSG are upping the ante here but Real are not far behind.
Real get the ball rolling and minutes later, Neymar passes the ball to Mbappe inside the box right of centre. Mbappe has space to take the shot, takes it at the near post and Navas gets down in time to clear the danger.
Source: Reuters
Between the two goals, the one big moment was Karim Benzema whipping a shot from outside the area and Areola pulling off a brilliant save to parry it off. What a half of football we have had. PSG were pegged back in the early minutes of the match but Neymar, Cavani and Mbappe started connecting near the Real box and started making things happen. Neymar did collect a yellow card in all this for a needless challenge on Nacho. The first goal came through Adrien Rabiot. Real were never out of it, though and Lo Celso, who has to be subbed off soon, gave away a penalty that Ronaldo converted. That was the Portuguese captain's 100th Champions League goal for Real Madrid.
Lo Celso, already on a yellow card, gets a couple of touches on Kroos inside the box and the German goes down like a house of cards on fire. It was a clear penalty though and a silly challenge from Lo Celso. Ronaldo of course, takes it and of course, scores with a thumping effort into the bottom left hand corner
Just a couple of minutes later, Ronaldo finds himself free inside the box after collecting a loose pass from Berchiche with. He goes for power and skies it. PSG then attack, Neymar gets it to Cavani who steers it to the bottom right. Casemiro, who is one of the countless white shirts inside the box, gets a touch to it and it goes out
PSG have been pushing back Real for some time now and they are rewarded. Rabiot sprints into the box in time for meeting Neymar's backheel touch off a cross from Kylian Mbappe. Cavani and Neymar were both there for it and Navas went their way, instead, it was Rabiot who struck it to the other side of the goal
Breathless action, PSG reach the Real end Neymar skips past a couple of challenges inside the box running to the right inside the box but loses the ball, it rolls toward Mbappe but Varane clears it away. Real counter, Marcelo makes an impossible looking long ball to Ronaldo who has only the keeper to beat. He ends up blasting the ball onto Areola's face. That pass from Marcelo was so good it deserved nothing less than a goal
......and hits it over the post.
Lo Celso fouls Isco just outside the box a little left of centre and gets a yellow card, he is yellow carded and it seems a harsh booking from the replays, Ronaldo takes......
Neymar once again whips in a cross from the left but it doesn't find Cavani, the Brazilian appeals for handball on Nacho who was in the way but the referee does not budge. Isco then leads a Real counter and crosses in an attempt to find Ronaldo but Marquinhos heads it away
Neymar dashes down the left and catches Real Madrid unawares, puts the ball low into the box looking for Cavani and he would have had it not been for a timely intervention from Raphael Varane who slides in and puts the ball out for a corner. First real involvement from Neymar in a PSG attack in the game
PSG's first real chance of the match goes begging as Berchiche decides to go for goal instead of passing to Cavani which may have been the better option. The ball then goes back to the PSG half of the field where Marcelo lands awkwardly in his shoulder after a collision with Dani Alves. He seemed to be in some pain but admirably gets up and back into the game
The action is on the PSG side of the field so far, Marcelo plays a one-two with Benzema left of centre makes his away inside the box but the ball is knocked out of danger. Only briefly though as Ronaldo whips in a curler that is somehow saved by the PSG keeper
PSG got the ball rolling and Real Madrid straight away press deep, there was an early shout for a penalty from the home side but the referee waved it off. Berchiche seemed to have fouled Kroos in that instance and Kroos later goes on to foul Neymar. Ferocious start from Madrid
The teams walk out on to the pitch with star-struck children trotting alongside the players
The last time they travelled to Spain to play one of the two football giants that reside in the country, PSG suffered a defeat like no other. They came into the match leading 4-0 against Barcelona and even got an away goal at the Nou Camp. Even then, they lost 6-1 and became one of the reasons why a wall of noise surrounded Catalonia that day. Neymar was the chief architect of PSG's destruction that day. Now he has donned the very colours he had vanquished and a far more confident PSG are facing a stumbling Real Madrid. If ever there was a chance for redemption for Unai Emery, this is it.
(Source: AP)
Zidane seems to have gone back to trusting Isco now that the Champions League is reaching its business end. Lasanna Diarais benched ahead of Giovani Lo Celso, Angel Di Maria, on the other hand, starts on his competitive return to the Bernabeu
Real Madrid: Navas, Nacho, Varane, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, Modric, Kroos, Casemiro, Isco, Benzema, Ronaldo.
Subs: Casilla, Bale, Hernandez, Lucas, Hakimi, Asensio, Kovacic.
PSG: Areola, Dani Alves, Marquinhos, Kimpembe, Yuri, Verratti, Lo Celso, Rabiot, Mbappe, Cavani, Neymar.
Subs: Trapp, Thiago Silva, Di Maria, Meunier, Diarra, Draxler, Pastore.
Real Madrid: Navas, Nacho, Varane, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, Modric, Kroos, Casemiro, Isco, Benzema, Ronaldo.
Subs: Casilla, Bale, Hernandez, Lucas, Hakimi, Asensio, Kovacic.
PSG: Areola, Dani Alves, Marquinhos, Kimpembe, Yuri, Verratti, Lo Celso, Rabiot, Mbappe, Cavani, Neymar.
Subs: Trapp, Thiago Silva, Di Maria, Meunier, Diarra, Draxler, Pastore.
Neymar, Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Kylian Mbappe, Edinson Cavani, Angel Di Maria Sergio Ramos, Marcelo - these are some of the names that will be plying their trade at the Santiago Bernabeu today. It is matches like these that brings out the strangeness of modern-day professional football. The combined costs of acquiring these players, their wages and their brand values would come to an an amount that might be close to the annual turnover of a multi-national company. All these billionaires will be running behind a ball trying to get it into their respective goal posts, the same thing you may find kids doing on their preferred empty stretch of the street or local playgrounds on a rainy day.
Let's get into the swing of things then; Real Madrid have had a horrendous season. They actually qualified for the ROund of 16 after finishing second in their group and have to be content with fighting for a Champions League spot in La Liga. PSG, on the other hand, have flattened any opposition that have come their way this season. One thing is for sure, at the end of this two-legged fixture, a giant will be left licking their wounds.