Real Madrid were on the receiving end of an emphatic Paris Saint-Germain performance in the opening game of Group A in the UEFA Champions League. The 13 times European Champions were totally outplayed at the Parc des Princes in a game where the Parisians displayed their real mettle even with the likes of Edinson Cavani, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe missing from the starting eleven.
The embarrassing defeat for Zinedine Zidane & Co. highlighted the flaws of the Real Madrid side very early into the season. The same flaws would need to be addressed at the earliest if Los Blancos seek to win any sort of silverware this season. Here are three talking points from Real Madrid’s humiliating defeat against Paris Saint-Germain.
Tactical Approach
Real Madrid did not seem to have any special preparations for a fixture of such great significance against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League. Los Blancos probably underestimated their opponents and paid the price for the same by losing 3-0.
Zidane did not seem to have anything out of the box planned for the encounter. As the scoreline suggests, Madrid’s normal game-play was totally torn apart by Thomas Tuchel’s side. The Parisians out-performed Real Madrid in all the aspects of the modern-day football and were deserving winners on the night.
Midfield Problems
Real Madrid were stretched throughout the length of the game, and there were several empty spaces in midfield which was exploited by the PSG team on a handful of occasions on the night. Another problem that came to light last evening was the level of creativity the midfield of Casemiro, Kroos & James had to offer in the absence of Luka Modric.
The Croatian’s absence was certainly felt last night, and everyone at Real Madrid would want Modric to return to the fold at the earliest possible time. It was observed on several occasions that Los Blancos were cramped in possession while attacking and often ended up playing the ball backwards, which did not help them advance in the attacking areas. This point can be made evident by the fact that Real Madrid had zero shots on target over the course of the ninety minutes at the Parc des Princes.
Injury Crisis
Real Madrid have endured a torrid start to the season concerning player fitness and injuries. The Whites made the trip to France without a few first-team players with the likes of Marco Asensio, Isco, Modric, and Marcelo missing from the squad.
Luka Modric was not the only first-team regular missed against the Parisians. The attacking instincts of Marcelo were certainly missed last night with the more defensive-minded Ferland Mendy starting in the left-back position. The summer recruit did not offer much support down the left-hand side with a player like Eden Hazard playing further up the pitch.