"I think Real Madrid come with more confidence" - Marquinhos plays down claims that PSG are favourites for crunch UEFA Champions League tie
PSG defender Marquinhos has played down claims that his side are the favourites in their Champions League Round of 16 clash with Real Madrid.
The Parisians are set to host Los Blancos at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday for the first leg of their Round of 16 encounter. Mauricio Pochettino's side are touted to get the better of their Spanish counterparts, although the tie could go either way.
Neither side are in a rich vein of form right now. The French outfit only scraped past Rennes on Friday in Ligue 1, while the Whites have won just one of their last four games across competitions. However, with experienced players like Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos in their ranks and Kylian Mbappe in hot form, PSG seem to have their upper hand.
"Même si on a de grands noms, des joueurs qui ont été champions, des joueurs qui ont de l’expérience, je pense que Madrid vient avec plus de confiance, de meilleures performances."
D'accord avec Marquinhos sur un Real Madrid favori face au PSG ?
(🎙️ @JulienMaynard) https://t.co/w1iyR7BzWR
Nevertheless, Marquinhos feels Real Madrid cannot be underestimated, as they tend to perform well in Europe. Speaking to Julien Maynard on Telefoot, he said:
"Even though we have big names, players who have been champions, players who have experience, I think Madrid come with more confidence, better performances."
Sparks set to fly in PSG-Real Madrid tie
It's the biggest clash of the round, so expect fireworks galore in both legs of the blockbuster tie.
Real Madrid are staring at a third last-16 exit from the competition in the last four years, while Mauricio Pochettino could face a sack if PSG are knocked out.
There are some interesting reunions too, as Ramos is all set to face his former club for the first time since leaving last summer. However, he's likely to miss the first leg because of an injury.
Meanwhile, Messi will come up against one of his familiar and favourite opponents. He regularly tormented Los Blancos in El Clasico while playing for Barcelona, scoring 26 goals and assisting 14 times from 45 games against them.
Lionel Messi's record vs Real Madrid:
26 Goals
14 Assists
🇦🇷 Lionel Messi's record vs Real Madrid:
🏟 45 Games
⚽️ 26 Goals
🅰️ 14 Assists
El Clásico's all time top goalscorer will be back in Madrid for the Champions League round of 16.
#Messi #UCLdraw #UCL https://t.co/ej7pz3Cypf
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti, meanwhile, will face his old side once again, having done so previously with Bayern Munich and Napoli, but not managing to win.
Los Blancos and PSG have only ever met in the knockout stage of the Champions League once. That happened in the last 16 of the 2017-18 season, which Los Blancos won both home and away to advance 5-2 on aggregate.