Real Madrid vs Paris Saint-Germain
It is THE clash of heavyweights in the Champions League and a contest which would grace the final of the competition.
In one corner you have Real Madrid, the most successful club in Europe with 13 European Cup/Champions League titles, including three on the bounce from 2016-18.
On the other side, you have PSG, a club that became a superpower when it was taken over a decade ago and is desperate to make an impression on the Champions League – hence its mega-money signings which have made Real’s most expensive acquisitions seem a snip.
Of course, only one can make this season’s quarter-finals, so this should be quite an encounter in the Bernabeu.
Talking Points
The onus is all on Real, who face a first-leg deficit thanks to a late moment of inspiration from Kylian Mbappe three weeks ago.
The French international scored the only goal of the first game at the Parc des Princes four minutes into added time, giving them a narrow advantage they had looked unlikely to earn after Lionel Messi’s penalty had earlier been saved by Thibaut Courtois.
It is also a reunion of old friends.
Most notably, former Madrid captain Sergio Ramos who scored 101 goals in 671 games for them in all competitions between 2005 and left for Paris last summer.
When asked at a press conference whether Ramos would be available, PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino hinted the centre-back may be involved, but I would think a place on the bench is the most likely given the difficulties he is getting into the team at the moment following injury.
Another man returning to familiar territory is Keylor Navas, who was in goal for all of Real’s three successive Champions League triumphs from 2016 to 2018.
Both sides go into this tie on the back of mixed domestic results.
Madrid came from behind to beat Real Sociedad 4-1 on Saturday and moved eight points clear at the La Liga summit. Eduardo Camavinga and Luka Modrić struck shortly before the break to make it 2-1 with Karim Benzema’s penalty and Marco Asensio completing a resounding win.
Meanwhile, in Ligue 1, Andy Delort scored a late winner as Nice inflicted only a third league defeat of the season on PSG – although they are runaway leaders.
That counts for nothing in midweek though and, with so much at stake, if it’s Champions League 2022 highlights you are looking for, look no further.
History
Each of the sides now has four wins in their 11 meetings.
Although PSG turned the tables on a Real side in transition a couple of seasons ago, it is fair to say that Real Madrid have tended to win this fixture when it matters most.
In recent years in the knockout stages, Real have firmly put the Parisians in their place.
They first met in the group stages of the 2015/16 competition when a goalless draw in Paris was followed by a 1-0 Real success in Madrid, courtesy of a Nacho Fernandez goal. Los Blancos would go on to win the competition.
Fast forward to 2018 and many felt PSG were best placed to end Real’s European domination.
They travelled to Madrid having spent big on the likes of Neymar and Mbappe and critics thought they looked on course when Adrien Rabiot put them in front.
Of course, then Cristiano Ronaldo and co showed them why they were European champions.
He netted twice and Marcelo the other in a 3-1 win before they completed a 5-2 aggregate success with a 2-1 victory in the Paris second leg – Ronaldo and Casemiro the men on target.
At that point, Paris had not beaten Madrid since George Weah netted the only goal at the Bernabéu in their UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup quarter-final first leg in March 1994, a tie PSG won 2-1 on aggregate.
That changed in the 2019/20 group stage when Thomas Tuchel’s team got the better of a Madrid side coached by Zinedine Zidane, picking up four points from their two games.
Goals from former Madrid midfielder Angel Di María and Thomas Meunier secured a 3-0 home win at the Parc des Princes.
In the return game, a Benzema double put Madrid in the box seat until two goals in the final nine minutes from Mbappe and Pablo Sarabia rescued a point.
Betting Tip
The SBOTOP Champions League 2022 betting odds edge towards Madrid, something I must admit surprises me slightly.
On saying that, PSG are not exactly performing as you’d expect given the calibre of players at their disposal.
For Madrid to win, you should consider 1X2 @ 2.47 or Asian Handicap -0.25 @ 2.23.
For a PSG triumph, then 1X2 will pay out @ 2.72 or Asian Handicap -0.25 @ 2.36.
A 1X2 draw is on offer @ 3.35.
Last time they met in Spain it finished 2-2 and the same again is available @ 10.50 with Correct Score.
I do think this will be tight with few goals, so my three-star bet is for 2-3 total goals.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT))
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
