Is there any stopping Real Madrid in the Champions League?
Unai Emery and Zinedine Zidane both went into the first-leg of this mammoth tie with their jobs essentially on the line – albeit for different reasons. PSG have failed to deliver on the European stage under Emery, and the board’s patience with the Spaniard is running thin. Zidane, on the other hand, is fighting to salvage a season underwhelming enough to erase the memories of recent successes.
Both teams lined up largely as expected, barring the exclusion of Thiago Silva and Gareth Bale for their respective sides. Inevitably, the home advantage spurred Madrid on in the early stages and allowed them to press their opposition high up the pitch. A couple of decent chances went begging for Los Blancos and it seemed as if their offensive pressure would eventually pay off – but PSG’s speed on the counter proved too much to handle.
A cross from the right found Cavani and Neymar unmarked in the box and a couple of neat flicks from the duo managed to lay the ball off for Adrien Rabiot. The French midfielder took the ball in his stride and left Navas wrong-footed with his finish. PSG had the crucial away goal, and they saw the opportunity to further exploit a vulnerable Madrid defence. However, the French side’s inability to find the killer pass let them down on multiple occasions and it wasn’t long before their profligacy came back to haunt them.
Shortly before the half-time break, Toni Kroos was brought down by Lo Celso’s daft tug in the box and Real Madrid had their chance to equalise. Ronaldo stepped up and converted with a rifled strike into the corner, sending the Bernabéu into raptures. Zidane’s men had the luxury of a level score-line again, and they knew they couldn’t afford to throw it away after the break. In fact, both teams came out with a fairly reserved attitude in the second-half as they feared conceding another goal.
PSG had the first big chance of the half as Mbappe’s timid shot was parried well by Keylor Navas. A scramble in the box shortly after produced another speculative situation, but Sergio Ramos made a crucial block for Madrid. Zidane began to sense tiredness in his side and the former World Cup winner’s bold substitutions proved decisive. A straight swap between Benzema and Bale was followed up by the introduction of Lucas Vazquez and Marco Asensio. This direct approach turned the game on its head, and Emery’s men were made to rue their missed opportunities.
A brilliant exchange on the left-flank allowed Asensio to burst into space and fire a cross into the box. His initial attempt was cleared, but he followed it up with a mazy run and pass to Ronaldo, who somehow managed to adjust his body quickly enough to divert the ball into the net. The crucial winner had come for Real Madrid – but that wasn’t all. Asensio drifted out wide again, and this time he found a pin-point pass to the on-rushing Marcelo. The Brazilian managed to get solid contact on the ball, and a slight deflection put it past Areola.
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It was the perfect ending for Zidane and his players, who have been aching for such a night in recent months. The performance may not have been perfect, but it was reflective of a side who have become accustomed to winning on the European stage. Moreover, it was a potentially job-saving victory for their manager – who still needs to manoeuvre his side through the away leg in Paris. In any case, Real Madrid can confidently say their season is showing signs of life yet again.