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PSG will host Real Madrid in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 at the Parc des Princes tonight.
PSG are buckling up for the defining ride of their season. They can lock up all the Ligue 1 titles they've won in their cabinets but it would still feel incomplete without that ever elusive Champions League trophy. It is the reason they break their bank every summer.
It is why they have assembled an ensemble of footballing superstars. If they can't propel PSG to the top of Europe, it will be counted as a major disappointment. The Round of 16 draw could have been kinder to them. But they have to face La Liga leaders Real Madrid.
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Having finished second in Group A, PSG will host the first leg of their Round of 16 tie against Real Madrid tonight. But it's a fixture they can choose to be optimistic about.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five reasons why PSG will win against Real Madrid tonight.
#5 PSG have home advantage
Let's start with the obvious first. PSG are yet to lose a game at home in normal time this season. The only loss they've conceded at the Parc des Princes all season came in the French Cup against Nice a couple of weeks back. The game ended 0-0 and the winner was decided on penalties.
Suffice to say, PSG have turned the Parc des Princes into an absolute fortress. They have played 15 games at home this season without coming away as the losers. In the Champions League, teams will make sure that they come up with a strong performance at home.
PSG do that habitually anyway and Real Madrid are going to find it hard to break them down and win the first leg.
#4 Real Madrid's poor form
There have been spells in the ongoing season when Real Madrid have looked absolutely unstoppable. But there have also been times where they've looked extremely vulnerable. The scale is tipping towards the latter right now as Los Blancos have won just one of their last four matches.
Worse yet, they've only scored a single goal in the last three games. These are worrying signs for Carlo Ancelotti, especially ahead of a trip to take on Paris Saint-Germain. Real Madrid have been able to keep the ball and pass it around well enough but they've looked bereft of ideas in the final third.
Vinicius Jr. has been one of the stars of the season for Real Madrid. But he has now gone five games without scoring a goal.
#3 Real Madrid will suffer due to Karim Benzema's injury
Karim Benzema has been in sublime form for Real Madrid this season. As mentioned earlier, Ancelotti's men have scored just a single goal in the last three games. Benzema's absence in the past couple of is the main reason the goals have dried up.
The Frenchman has missed the last three games with a hamstring injury. The 34-year-old has made the trip to Paris and appeared for the pre-match press conference. He provided an update on his physical condition but it's not clear whether or not he will start for Real Madrid against PSG tonight.
Benzema said:
“I have been working very hard and I feel a lot better. We will have a training session tonight and we’ll see if I can play tomorrow. We’ll see how I feel when I’m on the pitch in tonight’s session.
I have been working in the mornings, afternoons and evenings in order to try to get back to play. I want to help my team in this huge match.”
Benzema knows just how big a match this is and he is desperate to play. But if he can't make the cut, Real Madrid are likely to suffer in the final third as they have in their last three games.
#2 Kylian Mbappe has been in great form
Kylian Mbappe is tipped to join Real Madrid this summer. But that won't stop him from trying to knock them into next weekend with yet another swashbuckling performance against potential future employers tonight.
Mbappe was in spectacular form in the Champions League knockout stages last season. He scored a hat-trick against Barcelona at the Camp Nou. He then bagged a brace against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena. It goes without saying that the Frenchman loves the Champions League knockout stages.
He has scored seven goals and provided three assists in his last nine appearances across all competitions for PSG. Mauricio Pochettino will not miss Neymar much if Mbappe is in the mood tonight.
#1 Lionel Messi always shows up against Real Madrid
Over the course of his stay at Barcelona, Lionel Messi has come up against Real Madrid more than most players have. He has made as many as 45 appearances against Real Madrid. Messi has scored 26 goals and provided 14 assists against his former club's bitter rivals.
The Argentinian international will always be a Cule at heart and will want to punish Real Madrid when they come visiting on Tuesday. The 34-year-old has also done well for PSG in recent weeks after getting off to a poor start to the season.
In his last 10 appearances across all competitions for PSG, Messi has scored three goals and provided seven assists.
