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Real Madrid is too much for PSG, moves on with second leg victory

By Cay North

PARIS, FRANCE - MARCH 06: Yuri Berchiche of PSG (17) and team mates look dejected in defeat after the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 Second Leg match between Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid at Parc des Princes on March 6, 2018 in Paris, France. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)
PARIS, FRANCE - MARCH 06: Yuri Berchiche of PSG (17) and team mates look dejected in defeat after the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 Second Leg match between Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid at Parc des Princes on March 6, 2018 in Paris, France. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images) /
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PSG is eliminated from the Champions League after failing to stage a home comeback against current title holders Real Madrid.

The PSG vs Real Madrid series is over after two legs, and the current champions will stay alive for at least one more stage of the competition. PSG never led the match, and Real Madrid moved on with a 1-2 victory on the night and a 2-5 aggregate margin of victory.

PSG’s attack was missing Neymar, who was injured in an earlier match against Marseille. Their front line consisted of Angel Di Maria, Edinson Cavani, and Kylian Mbappe, but both wingers were eventually substituted out without having any luck scoring.

Real Madrid entered the match with an aggregate lead and wasn’t as desperate for a victory, and they rested Gareth Bale and Toni Kroos. Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema manned their front line, with Marco Asensio getting the start out wide in place of Toni Kroos.

The first half was scoreless, but not boring. The crowd was hyped up in anticipation, and you could tell the match’s importance just from the atmosphere. About 16 minutes into the match, Lucas Vasquez nearly linked up with Ronaldo to provide an assist, but Ronaldo couldn’t keep control of the ball and Karim Benzema missed a follow-up chance. When Real won a corner right after, Sergio Ramos sent the ball over the crossbar.

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Before the end of the first half, Mbappe beat the offside line and had a run at the goal, but couldn’t finish and instead won a corner. It was PSG’s best chance of the half, and the fact that they didn’t have more chances shows their lack of urgency.

In the second half, Real took over the match and jumped ahead to their first lead. It barely took five minutes for Ronaldo to score by making a run towards the back post and rising to head in a cross from Vasquez.

PSG was dealt a major blow 15 minutes later, when Marco Veratti picked up his second yellow card and earned himself an exit from the match. He left the pitch to the sound of emphatic whistling and jeers directed from the fans towards the referee. They did pull one back, however, when Thiago Silva took advantage of confusion in the box to get a free header on goal.

Real took victory on the night, however, when Casemiro was able to get on the end of a deflection 80 minutes into the match. Areola couldn’t stop Casemiro’s chip, and Real took the 2-1 lead that they finished the match with.

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With this result, they move on to the Round of Eight and PSG is eliminated, even after their spending spree that brought Neymar and Mbappe to Paris. While PSG has a 14 point lead in Ligue 1, their aspirations were always aimed at winning the Champions League, and manager Unai Emery may find himself out of a job soon because of the result.

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