3 PSG players who performed and 2 who underperformed against Real Madrid | UEFA Champions League Round of 16
French giants Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) welcomed Real Madrid to the Parc des Princes for the first leg of their Champions League Round of 16 clash on Tuesday night.
Despite dominating proceedings, the hosts needed a Kylian Mbappe solo goal in the 94th minute to secure a narrow 1-0 win over Los Blancos. The return leg is scheduled for March 9th at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid.
Playing at home, PSG were quick to take control of the game. Their passing and movement caused Real Madrid all sorts of trouble, especially down their right flank. Marco Asensio and Dani Carvajal were no match for Kylian Mbappe and Nuno Mendes’ pace, and were caught on their heels more often than not.
The hosts’ first chance of the match came in the fifth minute itself when Mbappe set up Angel Di Maria inside the Madrid box. The Argentine failed to wrap his foot around it and saw his effort sail over the bar. A few minutes later, the PSG No.7 got in on the action and forced a save out of Thibaut Courtois.
The Parisians won a penalty 15 minutes into the second half, but Lionel Messi could not outsmart Courtois to put his team ahead. Neymar’s introduction in the 73rd minute saw the hosts up the ante even further but could not find a way past the indomitable Courtois. Much to the heartbreak of the Madridistas, Courtois was finally beaten right at the death, with Mbappe proving why he is rated so highly.
It was a mixed night for the Ligue 1 leaders, one in which some players fired on all cylinders while a couple missed their opportunities.
Here are the three PSG players who performed and two who underperformed in their 1-0 win over Real Madrid in the Champions League:
Performed: Achraf Hakimi
Former Real Madrid right-back Achraf Hakimi went up against quick-footed Vinicius Junior on Tuesday night.
Keeping up with the pace of the Brazilian left-winger was hardly straightforward, but the Moroccan made it seem like child’s play at the Parc des Princes.
Watching Hakimi's and Carvajal's performances side-by-side is causing me immense pain. We had him. At one point.
Not only did he keep a lid on Vinicius Jr., but he also dashed down his flank whenever an opportunity came knocking.
He completed two dribbles on the night against his former employers and provided three excellent key passes.
Underperformed: Angel Di Maria
PSG right-winger Angel Di Maria endured an uncharacteristically quiet night on Tuesday. He often looked out of ideas and was easily outmuscled by Real Madrid midfielders.
The Argentine also failed to get even a single shot on target and gave the ball away cheaply in important areas.
Neymar needed asap, Di Maria is washed https://t.co/cnExM8sil9
Against his former club, the winger lost eight ground duels, gave possession away nine times and committed four fouls.
A lackluster display by the immensely talented PSG stalwart.