Ranking Real Madrid's 5 best players against PSG | UEFA Champions League Round of 16
Looking to overturn a 1-0 deficit, Real Madrid hosted Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the second leg of their Champions League Round of 16 on Wednesday night.
In front of a capacity Santiago Bernabeu, Los Blancos produced a scintillating second-half performance, winning the game 3-1 (3-2 on aggregate), courtesy of an impeccable Karim Benzema hat-trick.
Mauricio Pochettino’s PSG completely outclassed and outplayed Los Blancos in the first leg and deservedly bagged a 1-0 win in Paris last month. The Spanish giants needed to up the ante to avoid a similar outcome at home, and they did it right from the get-go. The hosts created a handful of chances in the first 10 minutes itself, but could not translate their dominance into goals.
Benzema unfurled a curling effort in the 24th minute, but couldn’t beat a fully stretched Gianluigi Donnarumma. Lionel Messi then had a go at goal at the other end, but could not make his dinking effort hit the back of the net. The breakthrough finally came for the visitors six minutes before half-time when Los Blancos’ transfer target Kylian Mbappe got the better of Thibaut Courtois at the near post.
The Whites finally popped up with the equalizer 16 minutes into the second half, thanks to Benzema’s relentless pressing and knack for being in the right place at the right time. The second goal came in the 74th minute, which leveled the contest 2-2 on aggregate. Finally, two minutes later, Benzema stabbed home the winner to send Los Blancos through to the Champions League quarter-finals.
Here are five Real Madrid heroes who stood out in their historic comeback win over PSG in the Champions League Round of 16:
Special mention: Eder Militao
#5 Eduardo Camavinga
In Casemiro’s absence, Carlo Ancelotti fielded Toni Kroos in a defensive midfield role and placed Luka Modric and Fede Valverde a little higher up.
Brilliant as Kroos is, he did not look comfortable in that role and was having a tough time dealing with PSG’s physicality.
Camavinga changed the flow of the game. What a talent. #UCL
Camavinga was brought on for Kroos 12 minutes into the second half and immediately made his presence felt. He was quick, dogged, and made the midfield tick with his passes.
The energy he brought in was infectious and allowed the Whites to dominate the visitors in the middle of the park.
#4 David Alaba
Since joining as a free agent from Bayern Munich in the summer, David Alaba has grown into an undroppable player at Real Madrid. Last night, his versatility and defensive acumen shone through against a fully-stacked PSG side.
The former Bayern man was rock solid at the back and rarely put a foot wrong. He stuck with Kylian Mbappe in the build-up to PSG’s opener and did his best to limit the Frenchman’s options.
Unfortunately, his efforts were for naught as Mbappe ended up beating Courtois at his near post. He followed Mbappe even more closely in the second half, notably stopping him from firing at goal from a chipped pass from Messi.
Forever grateful for @David_Alaba, thank you @FCBayernEN for letting us have him for a grand total of €0.00 #rmalive https://t.co/FlcCnITpx6
Against Les Parisiens, Alaba registered three clearances, made three recoveries, won a tackle, and provided a key pass. Another world-class performance from the 29-year-old.