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With a slender one-goal lead to protect, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) traveled to the Santiago Bernabeu for the second leg of their Champions League Round of 16 clash on Wednesday night.
Despite going ahead in the first half, the Parisians could not protect their advantage, falling to a dramatic 3-1 defeat on the night. Courtesy of a stellar Karim Benzema hat-trick, the tie ended 3-2 (on aggregate) in favor of Real Madrid, taking Los Blancos to the quarter-finals of the European competition.
Playing at home, the Spanish giants charged out of the gates with all their might, creating some pretty decent chances in the opening five minutes. Eventually, their energy waned and PSG started finding joy down the flanks.
Kylian Mbappe, who dramatically scored a last-gasp winner in the first leg, had a go at Madrid’s goal in the 13th minute. But Los Merengues goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was up to the task and denied the Frenchman.
At the half-hour mark, Lionel Messi and Neymar combined to carve open the Madrid defense. The Argentine, unfortunately, could not keep his dinked effort on target from a tight angle.
PSG’s inevitable breakthrough finally came in the 39th minute, when Neymar expertly played Mbappe through on goal with a first-time pass. The former Monaco man danced down the left-inside channel and put a thunderous drive past Courtois to double Paris’ aggregate advantage.
Unfortunately for the young France international, his compatriot in white had a masterclass planned for the second half. In the 61st minute, Benzema scored the equalizer and then doubled his tally in the 76th minute before finally completing his hat-trick a couple of minutes later.
Buoyed by his treble, Los Blancos secured an excellent 3-1 comeback win on the night, knocking Paris Saint-Germain out of Europe's premier club competition.
Here are five Paris Saint-Germain players who failed to live up to their billing in the Champions League Round of 16 return leg on Wednesday night:
#5 Danilo
While Marco Verratti did everything in his power to dominate the midfield battle with Real Madrid, Danilo was tasked with keeping Vinicius Junior quiet.
He tried his best to keep the Brazilian winger contained, but was not always successful.
Bogged down with defensive responsibilities, Danilo could not contribute to PSG’s attacking play, failing to register a single key pass. He also committed a couple of untimely fouls, which allowed the hosts to regroup.
Danilo was ultimately subbed for Angel Di Maria in the 80th minute.
#4 Presnel Kimpembe
PSG centre-back Presnel Kimpembe was solid as ever in the first half but looked clueless in the second 45.
His performance got shakier with each passing minute in the second half and he was nowhere to be found during Benzema’s glorious 17-minute spell.
He lost two duels, ceded possession eight times, and senselessly picked up a yellow card for shoving Vinicius Junior.
Kimpembe was also on the receiving end of a Luka Modric nutmeg which led to Real Madrid's second goal. A night to forget for the Frenchman.
#3 Gianluigi Donnarumma
Former AC Milan keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma joined PSG as a free agent ahead of the 2021-22 season. The tall Italian has performed decently since moving to the French capital, producing numerous important saves over the course of the campaign.
He demonstrated his shot-stopping skills last night as well but made one huge mistake that allowed Real Madrid to crawl back into the tie.
His fingertip save to deny Benzema in the first half was exceptional as very few keepers in the world would’ve been able to keep it out. Unfortunately, his first-half heroics were marred by his poor work on the ball in the 61st minute.
Instead of clearing Marco Verratti’s back pass, the Italian tried to dribble his way out of trouble. Benzema expertly put pressure on him, practically compelling the keeper to give the ball away to Vinicius Junior.
The Brazilian cut the ball back for the Frenchman, who easily found the back of the net. That mistake is bound to give the PSG custodian quite a few sleepless nights.
#2 Marquinhos
Rated as one of the best centre-backs in the world, Marquinhos looked like a shadow of his confident self last night. The PSG skipper was careless in the first half itself, which turned into lunacy in the second 45.
In the 28th minute, the Brazilian tried an unnecessarily extravagant flick in his own box, which was intercepted by David Alaba. Fortunately for Marquinhos, the Austrian’s low cross into the area was parried away by an alert Nuno Mendes.
The PSG No.5 played a part in blindsiding Gianluigi Donnarumma for Benzema’s second goal of the night. The Brazil international slid in to block the Frenchman’s shot but ended up deceiving his own keeper. Benzema’s strike took a significant deflection off his slide and beat the keeper comprehensively.
A couple of minutes later, Marquinhos found himself locked in a tussle with Vinicius Junior. Instead of clearing the ball calmly, the 27-year-old waywardly put it in Benzema’s path, who finished it instinctively to win the game for Real Madrid.
A shocking display from the experienced defender.
#1 Lionel Messi
Seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi was back in a familiar setting on Wednesday, back at the Whites’ fortress, the Santiago Bernabeu. Playing at the home of his former club’s arch-rivals, the Argentine should have been extra motivated to make an impact.
Instead, he disappeared when his inexperienced side needed him the most, barely doing anything of note in the final stretch of the match.
Messi operated in a deeper role for PSG in the Champions League Round of 16 return leg. The 34-year-old pulled the strings from the middle of the park, plugging the gap between midfield and attack without a hitch in the first half.
He also did his defensive work quite well, registering five recoveries. The former Barcelona star had three shots on goal, with one of them coming from a clever bit of play between him and Neymar.
After the hour mark, Messi practically vanished before everyone’s eyes. While the 34-year-old Karim Benzema inspired a Real Madrid comeback, PSG’s veteran superstar couldn’t do anything but watch on in desperation.
He did attempt a free-kick from range, but that never looked like troubling Thibaut Courtois. Paris Saint-Germain fans ought to be disappointed with the performance of their highest-paid player, and rightfully so.
