The second leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 stages promises a thriller as Paris Saint-Germain travel to the Santiago Bernabeu to overcome a 2-goal deficit against Real Madrid. The opening leg ended 1-3 at the Parc des Prince in favour of the La Liga outfit as Zinedine Zidane’s men now have the advantage over the Parisian side.
PSG’s dominance in the group stage has not been carried over to the knockout stage as they failed to overtake the defending champions at home even with the opposition struggling with low morale at the moment.
Real’s domestic campaign has been woeful to say the least after being catapulted out of the Copa Del Rey against Leganes and falling 12 points behind their bitter rivals, Barcelona in the title race.
Zidane’s position has fallen under major scrutiny over the course of the season as Florentino Perez’s is preparing to bring Neymar to the Bernabeu in the summer. Madrid’s only way earning silverware this season is through the Champions League only a third consecutive victory will go a long way in saving the Frenchman’s job.
PSG’s league title might already be in the bag after their last week 2-0 win over Troyes and their lead extending to 14 points now. However, the team has undergone a massive overhaul of world-class talents ahead of the season and the European trophy is their greatest priority while the domestic competitions should only be a formality.
Unai Emery’s job is equally under pressure after the previous leg loss and the time is now to win the tactical battle over the Galactico boss and progress to the next round of the competition.
Paris Saint-Germain Team News
Emery will have his work cut out for him without the services of Neymar as the Brazilian superstar has been ruled out with an ankle injury for over 6-weeks following the surgery.
Hatem Ben-Arfa’s groin injury has still not been addressed with the 30-year-old left out of the 3-0 win over Marseille in the midweek Cup fixture. Marquinho is also a doubt with a thigh problem but Dani Alves is expected to make a return.
The club officials remain hopeful over Kylian Mbappe being ruled fit for this tie but a confirmation has not been released yet. Thiago Silva is expected to make a return to the lineup after missing the first leg.
Real Madrid Team News
Toni Kroos and Luka Modric are yet to be ruled fit for this game while Marcelo has returned to training with the first-team.
Jesus Vallejo will also be available for selection. Gareth Bale played in the last fixture against Getafe and is fit enough for this tie as well.
Predicted Lineup:
Real Madrid (4-3-3): Navas; Carvajal, Varane, Ramos, Hernandez; Casemiro, Isco, Kovacic; Ronaldo, Benzema, Bale
Paris Saint-Germain (4-3-3): Areola; Alves, Silva, Kimpembe, Yuri; Veratti, Rabiot, Lo Celso; Di Maria, Cavani, Mbappe
Key Men
With Neymar out of the lineup, Di Maria will have to fill up the left flank but the major impact should be coming from the 19-year-old Mbappe. Edinson Cavani will have a strong hand in spiking a comeback.
Ronaldo and Bale will be the men to watch for Real Madrid with the latter predicted to mark an illustrious return to the starting XI.
Betting Odds:
Real Madrid Win: 23/10
Paris Saint-Germain Win: Even
Draw: 3/1
