PSG vs Real Madrid: 5 key battles to watch | Champions League 2021-22 Round of 16 First Leg
Real Madrid will make the trip to Paris Saint-Germain for the first leg of their highly anticipated Champions League Round of 16 clash on Tuesday night.
It will be a clash between the two Champions League favorites. Los Blancos may not have the great Cristiano Ronaldo at their disposal anymore, but they still have the quality and experience to go all the way. PSG, on the other hand, have only played in one UCL final in history, but their squad is arguably the best in the world.
It is almost impossible to predict the outcome of this electrifying Champions League clash. We will try and give you five battles whose outcomes could tip the scale one way or the other.
Here are five key battles you should to keep an eye on when PSG host Los Blancos tonight:
#5 Luka Modric vs Marco Verratti
Luka Modric and Marco Verratti are two of the most celebrated central midfielders in the world. Both are capable of dictating the tempo of the match and are known to produce defense-piercing passes out of the blue.
36-year-old Luka Modric has taken part in almost every important game under Carlo Ancelotti this season. When on the pitch, he has gotten the better of players half his age, both in terms of quality and work rate.
The Croatian has also scored a couple of goals for Los Blancos this season and has it all to be the difference-maker on Tuesday night.
đ| Rodrygo: "ModriÄ makes everything look easy. We see him do things and we think: 'That's easy'. But then we try to do it and we see it's not! I watched him play on TV and thought: âYes, he's very goodâ. But when you play with him you realise he's even better." @el_pais https://t.co/1bzE2ylWLY
PSGâs Marco Verratti has had to deal with niggling injuries this campaign, but heâs currently fit and ready to fire.
The Parisians look a lot more organized with the Italian on the pitch and theyâll need their maestro to bring his "A game" against Madrid.
#4 Vinicius Junior vs Achraf Hakimi
Academy graduate Achraf Hakimi was originally meant to be a big part of Real Madridâs future. Unfortunately, Los Merengues were not ready to give the Moroccan a regular birth ahead of Dani Carvajal and sold him permanently to Inter Milan in 2020.
The right-back was snapped up by PSG last summer and has since been one of the first names on the team sheet.
#RealMadrid
Achraf Hakimi tells @marca: âWhen I left for Inter, there was a purchase option for Real but they didn't execute itâ. âŞď¸đ˛đŚ #RealMadrid
âI think Real Madrid didn't want to bet on me as much as other clubsâ, he added.
Also last summer Real didnât want to match PSG bid for Hakimi. https://t.co/8yXUH9Rh51
Hakimi will be up against Madridâs in-form golden boy, Vinicius Junior, on Tuesday night.
Having already scored 15 times this season, the Brazilian is looking for a record-breaking campaign. Unfortunately, he will have a freakishly quick and scarily determined Achraf Hakimi to deal with.
Will Vinicius get the better of the former Los Blancos man with his pace and skills or will Hakimi neutralize the explosive 21-year-old left-winger? A fascinating tussle awaits in the Champions League tonight.