Real Madrid produced a solid display at the Parc des Princes, only for a last-gasp Kylian Mbappé goal to hand PSG victory in the first leg of the sides’ Champions League round-of-16 tie. PSG was superior in this match but on the other hand it was also a force test for Madridistas who almost left with a very valuable draw. The quarters will now be decided when they renew acquaintances on Wednesday 9 March at the Santiago Bernabéu, a contest that Casemiro and Ferland Mendy will miss through suspension.
The sides played out a goalless first half that was bereft of any chances of real note. Real Madrid seemed less compact than the Parisians who seemed more energetic and accurate in their game. The hosts, who had the lion’s share of possession, fashioned several openings in the early exchanges. Just five minutes in, Mbappé raced away down the flank and his cross found Angel Di María, who contrived to send his effort over the bar.
The Frenchman was again in the thick of the action 13 minutes later, but Thibaut Courtois stood firm to deny him in a one-on-one. The madridistas, who were looking resolute at the back, fashioned their first chance of the night in injury time, with Toni Kroos whipping in a corner that Casemiro met with a towering header that failed to find the target. The 1st half did not show a big difference between the teams.
In the second half the difference started to get bigger, mostly because the tiredness got more evident in Ancelotti’s team. The second half got underway at a slicker pace and Mbappé tried his luck once again with 50 minutes on the clock, only to see his sweetly struck shot from inside the box after fine link-up with Messi repelled by the indomitable Courtois. The White team responded four minutes later with a long-range Kroos effort which flew just over the crossbar.
The game had become a pulsating affair now and with 60 minutes gone, Mbappé nicked the ball away from Dani Carvajal and was upended in the box. Lionel Messi stepped up to take the spot-kick, but Courtois refused to be beaten once more. Even if that moment did not serve as a point of return for the match as PSG continued to press and pose dangers in front of Courtois, it served however to give Madridistas a psychological boost to keep competing and fighting.
As the end approached Real kept trying to catch PSG unprepared using counter attacks but the team looked a bit tired and not fast enough to be dangerous. Meanwhile the lack of compactness and the frequent loss of the ball in the midfield from the Madridistas gave more opportunities to PSG. The attackers and especially Mbappe often put the white defense and Courtois in difficulty. The Belgian had been truly outstanding all night but there was absolutely nothing he could do to stop Mbappé when the Frenchman concluded a sublime piece of individual skill to send the ball into the net just one minute before the end. It's now all to play for at the Bernabéu.
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