Paris Saint-Germain have all to do as they attempt to dash Real Madrid’s dream of winning the UEFA Champions League for a third year running.
Unai Emery’s side had the lead for 12 minutes in the first leg of their round-of-16 clash at the Santiago Bernabeu after Adrien Rabiot opened the scoring in the first half, only to see Cristiano Ronaldo equalise with a penalty just before half-time.
PSG looked set to secure a decent 1-1 draw, but were stunned as Real Madrid struck twice in the final seven minutes, suffering a 3-1 defeat.
Despite the European setback, the Ligue 1 champions have been on fire domestically, racking up three consecutive wins against Strasbourg (5-2), Marseille (3-0), and Troyes (2-0), stretching their lead to 14 points at the top of the league.
They also advanced to the Coup de France semi-finals after a solid 3-0 win over L’OM a week ago. Yet, their main priority remains conquering Europe’s premier club competition, and Emery is urging his team to show fire and determination on home turf.
“This is the game of the year. It’s a special moment for all our fans and football lovers in France and Paris. It’s an opportunity for us to take a big leap forward,” the Spanish coach shared during his pre-match press conference.
“If we play to our full potential, that will be the key to the match. I hope Real Madrid bring their best squad, because we want to be better than them.”
“We must play with both our heads and hearts, although if I had to choose, I’d say passion from the heart is more important.”
Real Madrid continue to be unpredictable in La Liga, but they’re a different beast in Europe, where they’ve stamped their authority.
Under Zidane, the team have secured big league wins against Real Sociedad (5-2), Real Betis (5-3), and Deportivo La Coruna (4-0), though they had some shaky moments and were recently beaten 1-0 by Espanyol.
Currently third in La Liga after five victories out of their last six, Los Blancos remain 15 points behind fierce rivals Barcelona.
With PSG in blistering form, Zidane realises the challenge his squad faces in Paris and expects his players to put on a strong defensive display to protect their two-goal cushion.
“We need to be ready for anything. We must focus on delivering a top-quality performance for the full 90 minutes or more,” Zidane commented to the media.
“Tomorrow will be tough for one side, but that’s football. I want to see a great game. We know it won’t be easy and we will have to take some hits, but we want to suffer and play well.”
Team news brought a huge boost to Emery with Kylian Mbappe, Marquinhos, and Javier Pastore all making the matchday squad despite injury doubts.
Youngster Christopher Nkunku also earns a place, while Neymar is sidelined for the next three months after surgery.
Real Madrid received uplifting news as Luka Modric and Toni Kroos returned to training and are in contention.
Marcelo might start after coming off the bench in the recent 3-1 win over Getafe.
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