UEFA Champions League 2021-22: 5 players to watch out for in Real Madrid vs PSG clash
Real Madrid welcome PSG to the Santiago Bernabéu in the second leg fixture of their UEFA Champions League contest, on Wednesday night.
The Ligue 1 side travel to Madrid with a 1-0 advantage from the first leg but the 13-time champions have lost just once at home this season, across all competitions. So, they are more than favourites for overturning the deficit here.
Kylian Mbappe, the goalscorer in the first leg, has picked up an injury in training and faces a late fitness test. For Los Blancos, Casemiro's suspension is a major blow and they'll have to be more decisive in the final third this time around, to compensate for the defensive cover that will be missed in the Brazilian's absence.
Messi magic 😎
@PSG_English | #UCL https://t.co/OfiVAjWwm1
Real Madrid overcame PSG at this stage of the competition in the 2017-18 campaign as they went on to lift the trophy for the third time in a row. So, they will be hoping to produce a similar performance here.
Real Madrid look to be the better side in terms of form and have made it three wins in three La Liga games since the 1-0 defeat last month. They have conceded just one goal in that period while scoring eight, as they solidified the pole position in the league standings. Madrid have overturned a first-leg away defeat 23 times in the competition's history.
PSG have suffered two losses in their last three Ligue 1 outings, with both defeats coming away from home. Mbappe was absent in their 1-0 loss at Nice. They have won 12 out of the 17 European league ties in which they won the first leg at home. However, they lost spectacularly in their trip to Spain in 2017 as Barcelona secured a 6-5 win on aggregate.
One thing is certain, that every player will be looking forward to making a difference in this decisive second-leg game. On that note, here are the 5 players to watch out for in this clash.
#5 Luka Modric | Real Madrid
Luka Modric warmed up for the Champions League game with an assist and a goal in Real Madrid's previous league outing against Real Sociedad. The Croatian midfielder is not usually directly involved in the goal, but his ability to dictate play in the middle of the pitch is a crucial part of Madrid's build-up play.
While he has only one assist to his name in the Champions League and is yet to score a goal, he is expected to dominate the midfield against PSG.
MODRIC WITH HIS LEFT! WHAT A RIP! 😱 https://t.co/FKLMvUmNnI
With Casemiro unavailable for Real Madrid in this game, he is expected to be involved in some defensive duties and is likely to play the role of a deep-lying playmaker.
#4 Lionel Messi | PSG
Lionel Messi was the unlikely villain in the first-leg tie for PSG as his penalty in the second half was saved by Thibaut Courtois. He had enjoyed a decent outing in the game and had four key passes to his name.
The 34-year-old has scored just one goal in 2022 and will be looking forward to returning to goalscoring ways. His last goal came in the 5-1 drubbing of Lille, last month.
He is the leading scorer at this stage of the competition with 29 goals and will be keen on extending his tally against his old foes.
#3 Marco Verratti | PSG
Marco Verratti has been one of the standout players for PSG this season. While his appearances in the competition were limited to four games due to injuries, the midfielder is expected to play the full 90 minutes here, given that he is suspended for PSG's league game over the weekend.
The Italian midfielder has a great sense of space and times his attacking runs accurately to link up in the attack. His tough-tackling has seen him earn 10 yellow cards in Ligue 1, but it is quite effective in breaking up attacking play.
He has averaged 2.5 successful tackles per 90 in the Champions League and should be able to dominate the midfield in this match.
#2 Vinicius Junior | Real Madrid
With Kylian Mbappe's involvement in the game doubtful, Vinicius Junior is the other winger expected to run the show in this game. He has provided an assist and scored a goal in three league games since the first leg and looks poised to have a good outing here.
Three of his last four goals across all competitions have come at home turf but both of his goals in the Champions League this season came in the 5-0 win at Shakhtar Donetsk in October.
#1 Karim Benzema | Real Madrid
Karim Benzema has naturally emerged as the key player at Real Madrid since Cristiano Ronaldo's departure in 2018. With his side trailing 1-0 on aggregate, he is the player best suited to perform in a must-win game.
The Frenchman failed to record a single shot on target in the first leg as PSG kept a tight ship at the back. But he bounced back with three goals and three assists in three league fixtures since.
Karim Benzema has now scored at least 20 goals for the 4th consecutive season, all since Cristiano Ronaldo left Real Madrid in 2018 😤 https://t.co/1AUd9cNnuF
The key for him here will be to avoid confrontation with the duo of Marquinhos and Presnel Kimpembe and make runs from deeper positions. With the home support behind him, he can provide some inspiration in the final third, with more than half of his goals across all competitions coming at the upcoming contest's venue.