On Tuesday night, the Parc des Princes saw a clash between two powerhouses of European football. The most decorated team in the competition with 13 European Cups, Real Madrid travelled to France’s capital to face the hosts, Paris Saint Germain, in the last sixteen. Not short of star power, this particular match-up had much more at stake than just being a neutral’s favourite game.
With Paris Saint-Germain having former Madridistas Keylor Navas, Achraf Hakimi, Angel Di Maria and Sergio Ramos in their squad, there are countless storylines amongst the players. Navas, Hakimi and Di Maria’s transfers out of Real Madrid found them at Parisians along the way, but the same cannot be said for Ramos. Being arguably the most influential club captain that Real Madrid have had is not an achievement to sniff at, but he was sacrificed by Florentino Perez at the end of his contract due to certain demands and completed his passage from Madrid to Paris.
However, Sergio Ramos wasn’t the only global superstar to have completed a move from Spain to Paris this summer. From the ranks of their eternal rivals, Real Madrid faced a familiar face: Lionel Messi. Spending 21 seasons at Barcelona and being Real Madrid’s most feared enemy, Messi played 45 matches against Real, winning 19 and losing 15 while scoring 26 goals and assisting another 14.
There is also the transfer saga taking part between these two teams. Perez’s endless chase of Kylian Mbappé, supported by the young World Cup winner’s suggestions that joining Real Madrid would be his dream move, has the Parisians trying their best to keep the young superstar. Some have even said the result of this match-up will play a part in his decision as to whether to stay at Paris or move to Madrid.
After Mbappé’s dismissal of PSG’s last two contract offers, the pressure of losing such a player on a free transfer to one of their European rivals doesn’t seem to worry the Qataris, with Club Director Leonardo saying that a potential deal must be on Paris Saint-Germain’s terms. Rejecting over €180 million last summer, Paris Saint-Germain showed they are ready to throw absurd resources at keeping their star boy, although this move’s primary motivation doesn’t appear to be money.
Despite so much going on off the pitch, Mbappé has been near-untouchable this season. Firing 21 goals in his 31 appearances in all competitions, he has looked like Mauricio Pochettino’s best available player, even with PSG boasting the likes of Messi and Neymar.
Unlike the young Frenchman, both clubs as a whole are far from their usual convincing level of performance, despite the fact that they are both leading their respective domestic leagues.
The Parisians lead their closest chasers Marseille by thirteen points, but their Coupe de France run was cut short by OGC Nice on penalties, while Real are four points ahead of the second placed Sevilla, yet their Copa del Rey run was ended by Athletic Bilbao. It seemed like this game was both teams’ main focus.
Last time they were matched up in the latter stages of the Champions League, it was Real Madrid that progressed, going on to win the trophy in 2017, although Real Madrid came into this game having won only one out of their last four games – an unconvincing one goal win over Granada.
Carlo Ancelotti made three changes to the squad that drew at Villarreal in La Liga, as Marcelo, Federico Valverde and Gareth Bale made way for Ferland Mendy, Luka Modric and their French superstar Karim Benzema, who had recovered from a hamstring injury.
Pochettino made four changes to the line-up that barely escaped Stade Rennais with a last minute goal from Mbappé: Keylor Navas was not given the chance to protect the goal against his old team, making way for Gianluigi Donnarumma, while Juan Bernat, Julian Draxler and Xavi Simons were also taken out for the services of Nuno Mendes, Danilo Pereira and Angel Di Maria.
Real Madrid were expected to have possession due to the questionable defensive work-rates of Paris Saint-Germain’s offensive stars, yet the exact opposite occurred.
Pochettino has struggled to find a plan that will help PSG keep the ball against high pressing teams, because of his players’ unwillingness to work hard off the ball. With Di Maria covering the pressing duties of Messi and Marco Verratti and Nuno Mendes doing the same for Kylian Mbappé, the Argentinian found a way to force Real Madrid into playing long balls over and over again as a way out. The success of PSG’s defensive line at recovering the ball was the main factor that determined the Parisian domination throughout the first half.
Real Madrid choosing to play a 4-1-4-1 shaped set defence in a low block enabled PSG to come into Real’s half of the pitch with ease, where Danilo acted as a third centre back so Achraf Hakimi could push forward into attack, where his skills are at their sharpest. Due to his positioning, Presnel Kimpembe did the same for Nuno Mendes, allowing the Portuguese to form a very dangerous and athletic duo on the left with Mbappé.
With most of the game being played in the middle and Real’s defensive third, along with the motivation of impressing his potential future club, Mbappé thrived. His endless runs to disrupt the Real Madrid defence lasted for the whole game, where in the last breath, he scored a brilliant goal to give the Parisians the advantage.
Just five minutes into the game, Messi, playing as a false nine, sought to link up with Mbappé, resulting in the Frenchman crossing from the left of the box where he received the ball from Messi and found Di Maria, who mishit the ball over the goal.
In the 18th minute Leandro Paredes played a beautiful ball for Mbappé running in behind, who looked to dazzle Dani Carvajal with his agility, but couldn’t finish under the pressure of the Spaniard and Thibaut Courtois, mainly the latter’s.
The first half didn’t quite bring the excitement expected from the Parisians’ domination, only really seeing Casemiro suspended for the second leg in the 37th minute. The Brazilian tackled Paredes and was booked, meaning he will not be available for selection at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Just three minutes later a booking followed for the Parisians, when Verratti got back at Casemiro and saw a yellow card for his efforts.
At the start of the second half, Real Madrid upped their intensity and had moments for the first ten minutes. Unable to produce anything significant and most importantly forcing Paris Saint-Germain into a less possession-oriented but more familiar approach, Madrid soon felt PSG’s breaking power.
In the 50th minute Hakimi’s cross found Mbappé, who shot first time only to be denied by Courtois.
Seven minutes later, Mendy received the third booking of the game when he was punished for a tackle on Danilo. Another silly tackle followed for Real Madrid in the 61st minute, when Carvajal, dazzled by Mbappé’s physical and technical abilities, lunged in to give away a penalty.
Heavily questioned since his move, Messi put the ball on the penalty spot then failed to silence the doubts, if anything multiplying them by seeing his penalty saved by Courtois. Just one minute later Danilo cut short a Real counter, chopping at Vinicius to earn himself a yellow card.
As the last quarter of hour neared, tactical and personnel changes presented themselves.
Ancelotti made his first involvement in the game, taking off Dani Carvajal, who was exhausted by Mbappé, for the services of the fresh Lucas Vazquez, upping the fitness levels to see out the game. Marco Asensio also made way for the Brazilian youngster Rodrygo.
Another Brazilian was sent onto the pitch by Pochettino at the expense of Di Maria, who celebrated his 34th birthday the day before the game. Neymar’s first minutes since late November came against a tired Real Madrid defence, who struggled to handle Messi, Neymar and Mbappé at the same time. Five minutes later Mbappé had another attempt, where his Thierry Henry-esque shot just wide of the post.
In the 82nd minute Ancelotti took off the fatigued Luka Modric and Vinicius for the services of Federico Valverde and Eden Hazard.
An additional four minutes of time came after Kimpembe, Rodrygo and Paredes were booked, and Idrissa Gueye came on for Danilo, while Benzema was removed for Gareth Bale.
Ancelotti’s aim of a 0-0 away was nearly realised, but the Italian was soon punished for his crime. After a ball the French boy wonder received from Neymar, Mbappé split the “fresh legs” of Vazquez and Eder Militao to score a low-placed shot into the brilliant Courtois’ goal, robbing the Belgian’s amazing performance of a clean sheet at the game dying moments..
Given the background of Mbappé’s transfer saga, this game was something to behold and could be a classic if the controversy continues.
With the away goal rule gone, Ancelotti’s Madrid can easily turn it around at home, although with the same challenge at hand the Italian needs to work to find a solution. Real Madrid already exited two of their last three Champions League campaigns at the round of sixteen, and the respective coaches that were in charge at the time were dismissed – even Zinedine Zidane.
A highly debatable turnaround in the second leg is necessary for Ancelotti and his men to show that they are able to compete with world class talent.
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