Real Madrid vs PSG: 5 key player battles that will decide the outcome of the match
The time has arrived for the headline act of the 2017/18 Champions League to get underway. Wednesday night will see the reigning champions Real Madrid take on Paris Saint-Germain - a team ready on all fronts to conquer the mighty Los Blancos.
It is a fight between a new contender to take over Europe with the help of a Brazilian prince against the wounded tigers who have struggled extensively this season but feature a beast of a king in their ranks. This match surely has all the ingredients to make it a modern day classic.
Just as any gigantic affair between two top sides, this fixture will be decided by the duels contested individually between the key players from both sides. Player battles often give us a vivid idea of one side's dominance over the other.
In this segment, we will take a look at the five key battles from Real Madrid's clash against PSG which most probably will decide the outcome of the match.
#5 Gareth Bale vs Yuri Berchiche
With Layvin Kurzawa in doubt for the game against Real Madrid, Yuri Berchiche will have a lot of focus on himself. It will be his biggest test in a PSG shirt so far. And he will be up against Gareth Bale on the right flank at the Bernabeu. The left-back will have no chances of losing momentum in the entire 90 minutes.
Gareth Bale is truly back in form and since his return from injury in January, the Welshman has played like a man on a purpose. Bale has scored 4 in his last 5 starts and started the game against Real Sociedad from the bench, with the manager deciding to keep him fresh for the PSG encounter.
Berchiche has impressed while deputising for Kurzawa with many judging him to be a far balanced left back than the Frenchman. He has taken his chances with aplomb but will need to be up for the challenge against Bale's pace and directness. Bale possesses a quality of changing the game in an instance and hence, PSG will need Berchiche to have a solid game against the forward.