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Can Zlatan’s PSG conquer Ronaldo’s Real?

Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid will test their Champions League credentials when they meet at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday with more than just supremacy in their group at stake.

Published: 21 October 2015 10:17 CEST
Can Zlatan's PSG conquer Ronaldo's Real?
Real Madrid's Ronaldo willtake on PSG's Zlatan Ibrahimovic at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday . Photo: AFP

The two teams, who harbour ambitions of going all the way in Europe's elite club competition, are locked together at the top of Group A having both beaten Malmo and Shakhtar Donetsk without conceding a goal.

Both sides are therefore well on course to qualify for the last 16, but their double confrontation over the next two weeks — they also meet in the Spanish capital on November 3 — will likely determine who wins the section and thereby sets up a more favourable draw in the first knockout round.

The all-star cast for the game will be headed by PSG's Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Real's Cristiano Ronaldo, who have both become the all-time leading scorers for their respective clubs since the start of this month.

Both players are bidding to win the Ballon d'Or, world player of the year award.

Madrid's preparations for the match — which comes ahead of a testing run of games in which they will also meet Celta Vigo, Sevilla and Barcelona in La Liga in the next month — have been overshadowed by injuries.

Gareth Bale is set to miss out with a recurrence of a calf injury suffered in the 3-0 win against Levante at the weekend, while James Rodriguez, Pepe and Dani Carvajal are all expected to be sidelined in Paris.

Karim Benzema is also a major doubt due to a hamstring strain.

However, Rafael Benitez's men have been boosted by the return of Luka Modric to training after an abductor muscle injury and captain Sergio Ramos is reportedly set to start against the French champions after overcoming a shoulder injury.

Madrid are joint top of La Liga and are still unbeaten this season under Benitez, but Spain midfielder Isco admits that record will be seriously tested at the Parc des Princes.

“They are one of the most complete sides in the competition and they have great players,” Isco told realmadrid.com.

“The two matches against them will be very hard and will be defined by the small details. We need to follow the same path as we have up to now, scoring a lot of goals and conceding very few.”

Benitez hits back at Blanc

The match is also a clash of styles, with PSG's possession-based approach in stark contrast to Madrid's penchant for lightning fast counter-attacks.

Paris coach Laurent Blanc had earlier evoked that contrast when he said that Real “since the start of the season, seem quite defensive to me, albeit they take their chances.”

He added: “I prefer to have the ball and apparently Real are happy to defend deep and hit teams on the break, because they go at 3,000 kilometres an hour.”

But that clearly irked Benitez, under whom Madrid have not lost in 10 games this season and have scored 24 goals, conceding only two.

“Our team is a team that attacks. The statistics say so and our idea is to win matches by scoring goals,” said the 55-year old, a Champions League winner with Liverpool a decade ago.

“At Liverpool, Chelsea, Napoli, Real Madrid, my teams have always scored goals. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.

“Real Madrid is the team that scores the most goals, shoots the most, I have nothing else to add. When we need to attack we do so.”

Di Maria's Madrid reunion

Like their opponents, PSG are yet to lose this season and they are top of Ligue 1 after winning 2-0 at Bastia at the weekend.

Indeed, that result left them unbeaten in their last 20 games in all competitions since a 2-0 defeat against Barcelona in the quarter-finals last season's Champions League in April.

However, Paris coach Laurent Blanc also has injury concerns, with Marco Verratti and Angel Di Maria hoping to feature after missing the Bastia game and David Luiz struggling to overcome a knee injury suffered playing for Brazil.

In addition, first-choice goalkeeper Kevin Trapp faces a fight to recover from a thigh injury in time, so Salvatore Sirigu is standing by to replace him.

“Real can hurt you at any moment. In midfield and up front all of their players can make the difference,” warned PSG striker Edinson Cavani.

Meanwhile, Argentina winger Di Maria will be eager to feature for Paris against the side he helped win the Champions League in 2014 with an outstanding performance in the final against Atletico Madrid.

However, he says he will not produce his trademark celebration, his fingers forming the shape of a heart, should he score.

“I won't celebrate because in my heart I have not forgotten what I went through with Madrid. It was unforgettable, a magnificent memory that will always stay with me,” Di Maria told Canal Plus.

While Paris have faced Barcelona six times in the last three seasons, they have not come up against Real for two decades.

Back then, the French side knocked Madrid out of Europe in consecutive seasons, beating them in the UEFA Cup quarter-finals in 1993 when a legendary late goal by Antoine Kombouare secured a 5-4 aggregate triumph, and then coming out on top in the Cup Winners' Cup quarter-finals a year later.

 

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FOOTBALL

Black Lives Matter: Marcelo ‘takes the knee’ to celebrate Real Madrid win

Marcelo celebrated by taking a knee as Real Madrid returned from three months away following the coronavirus suspension by beating Eibar 3-1 on Sunday.

Published: 15 June 2020 09:42 CEST
Black Lives Matter: Marcelo 'takes the knee' to celebrate Real Madrid win
Real Madrid's Brazilian defender Marcelo kneels on the field to celebrate his goal. Photo: AFP

After scoring Madrid's third goal in the 37th minute, Marcelo dropped onto his left knee and raised his clinched right fist into the air, apparently in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Madrid's win may have come at a cost as Eden Hazard and Sergio Ramos were both substituted early in the second half and were seen with ice packs strapped to them while sitting in the stands.

Hazard was making his first start since February and his ice pack appeared to be around his troublesome right ankle, which he injured in November and February, before undergoing surgery in March.

“We knew Eden would lack a bit of rhythm playing the whole game,” coach Zinedine Zidane said.

“He played well for an hour, he took a knock which was a scare but at half-time he said he was fine. He is happy with what he has done and we are happy with him.”

Madrid's win means they reduce the gap behind league leaders Barcelona back to two points after the Catalans thrashed Real Mallorca 4-0 on Saturday.    

Madrid struck in the fourth minute after a superb strike from Toni Kroos before Ramos tucked away Hazard's pass on the counter-attack.    

Eibar pulled one back in the second half through Pedro Bigas but never found the second to make Madrid nervous, despite a brief spell of pressure.    

Before going off, Hazard was busy, the Belgian involved in all three goals.    

His weaving run through midfield led to Kroos' shot and it was his effort that was cleared out to Marcelo, who drove into the corner.    

After a miserable opening season in Spain, it was a bright start for Hazard, who could now redeem himself by playing a crucial role in the run-in, if he can stay injury-free.

Perhaps even more impressive though was Karim Benzema, who linked up brilliantly with Hazard and was unfortunate not to get the goal an excellent all-round performance deserved.

Gareth Bale started on the bench but came on and could start against Valencia on Thursday.

Zidane is likely to rotate heavily over the next few weeks, with the games coming thick and fast.

New surroundings

Madrid's coach will also have been pleased to get off to a positive start in their new training ground home, which was the 100th different stadium to be used in La Liga.

They will be playing all their remaining home matches at the Alfredo di Stefano Stadium to allow renovation work at the Santiago Bernabeu to continue this summer.

“We know the situation, it's all a bit strange,” said Zidane. “But the players are all champions and we have to get our heads around it.”    

Barca had needed less than two minutes to score against Mallorca and Madrid were only slightly later, as Hazard broke through Eibar's midfield and Casemiro set Benzema free.

The ball was cleared to Kroos on the edge of the area, who struck first time, sidefooting perfectly into the far top right-hand corner.   

Ramos doubled their advantage after starting, and finishing, a ruthless counter-attack. In between, Benzema and Hazard were involved again, the former picking out the latter, who generously gave Ramos an open goal.

Marcelo put Eibar all but out of sight before half-time as Benzema played through for Hazard and his shot spilled out to Marcelo to lash into the corner.

Eibar were better after the break as Edu Exposito forced a full-stretch save from Thibaut Courtois and then Sergi Enrich headed against the crossbar. 

Bigas did score after diverting in Pedro Leon's shot but Madrid held on.    

Earlier, Diego Costa scored his first goal since October but Atletico Madrid missed the chance to move into La Liga's top four by drawing 1-1 away at Athletic Bilbao.

Costa celebrated by holding up the shirt of Virgina Torrecilla, a player from Atletico's women's team, who underwent surgery on a brain tumour last month.

His equaliser came two minutes after the excellent Iker Muniain had given Bilbao the lead towards the end of the first half and neither side could find a winner at the empty San Mames, with Atletico defender Santiago Arias missing the best chance late on.

Diego Simeone's side stay sixth, level on points with Getafe and one behind Real Sociedad, who were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Osasuna.

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