Ranking 5 players who could help PSG beat Real Madrid in the Champions League
PSG take on Real Madrid in a blockbuster UEFA Champions League Round of 16 clash at the Parc des Princes tonight (Tuesday).
The Parisians have gone from strength to strength since their QSI takeover in 2011. They won their first Ligue 1 title this century in 2012-13. Having won every league title since then except 2016-17 and 2020-21, there is no doubt about their dominance in France.
The same cannot be said about their results in the UEFA Champions League, though. The Parisians weren't strong enough to compete with the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona in Europe till they signed Neymar Jr and Kylian Mbappe.
PSG have their task cut out against Real Madrid
Despite seemingly having the personnel to win Europe's elite trophy, the French giants haven't got their hands on the coveted silverware yet. Their best finish in a Champions League campaign came in 2019-20, where they finished runners-up to Bayern Munich.
Are PSG now automatic favorites to win the Champions League this season? 👀🏆 https://t.co/JfGmrzXqLr
However, with the addition of Lionel Messi, Sergio Ramos and Georginio Wijnaldum last summer, Mauricio Pochettino is determined to land the elusive trophy.
The Paris-based club have a 13-point lead in Ligue 1, which means they can focus on the Champions League now. However, they will have their task cut out against the 13-time winners
On that note, here's a look at five PSG players who could be key against Real Madrid tonight:
#5 Achraf Hakimi
PSG's lack of world-class full-backs has haunted them in the past. The Mauricio Pochettino-coached side had no answer to Bayern Munich's Joshua Kimmich and Alphonso Davies in the 2020 final. With attacking full-backs being the norm across Europe, PSG bought Achraf Hakimi for €66.5 million last summer.
Hakimi started his Ligue 1 career with a bang. He accumulated three goals and two assists in the first two months of the campaign. The Moroccan has been an ever-present for the French side in the Champions League as well, having playing all 540 minutes so far.
Achraf Hakimi doesn't mind that Real Madrid let him go 🤷♂️ https://t.co/TSUHMVUOmN
The 23-year-old could be key against his former club on the defensive side of things. Vinicius Junior has been on fire this campaign. However, Hakimi is one of the few right-backs in the world who can match the Brazilian's pace. The tussle between the two youngsters could go a long way in determining the game's outcome.
#4 Gianluigi Donnarumma
Gianluigi Donnarumma has been in a rotation with former Real Madrid goalkeeper Keylor Navas. Although both of them have played three games each in the Champions League this season, the Italian is expected to feature against Los Blancos tonight.
Donnarumma has done reasonably well in his maiden Champions League campaign. Not only has he made more saves than Navas, but he has also conceded fewer goals and saved a penalty too. The former Milan star will hope to keep a clean sheet at the Parc des Princes tonight if he starts.
The world’s best goalkeeper in 2021 👑
Gianluigi Donnarumma wins the Yashin Trophy 🏆 https://t.co/Oq9BCUJq2N
Real Madrid have been indifferent in front of goal recently, scoring just once in their last three outings across competitions. Considering the same, the PSG shot-stopper will fancy his chances of replicating his shutout against Manchester City in the group stage earlier this season.