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Former Spanish defender Ivan Campo has criticized Real Madrid’s tactical approach during their 1-0 loss to PSG on Tuesday. The two sides faced off in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League Round-of-16 tie at the Parc des Princes.
Real Madrid set out to contain a PSG team that had a wealth of attacking options. Kylian Mbappe proved to be a constant threat and eventually scored a late goal to help his team to a 1-0 win. The Parisians will head into the second leg of the tie at the Santiago Bernabeu with a goal in hand.
Speaking to MARCA, Campo claimed that Los Blancos should have played with five players in the middle of the park:
"We saw a very apathetic Real Madrid against a rival like PSG that used a direct game. The Whites played a poor game without shooting on goal and that is very strange. The Parisians were much superior. I would have done it differently because when a team has so much from midfield up, it’s because they have very little consistency at the back."
He added:
"I would have played differently, perhaps putting five in the middle of the field and pressed a little more to make PSG uncomfortable. Modric did not appear, Benzema was not comfortable. Casemiro and Mendy will be absent but now the Bernabéu comes into play and if the team improves, it will have options — although if the duel is the same, I don’t think Courtois can save as many as he did in Paris."
PSG’s Kylian Mbappe single-handedly makes Real Madrid pay at the Parc des Princes
During Tuesday's game, Kylian Mbappe was believed to be auditioning to become Real Madrid's poster boy for the years to come. He more than proved his worth and was easily the most dangerous player on the pitch. After the game, Carlo Ancelotti hailed the 23-year-old as the most lethal player in Europe.
Los Blancos put multiple defenders on Mbappe and panicked each time he got on the ball. The Frenchman came close to scoring multiple times and set up two chances for Lionel Messi, who was not at his best.
However, Neymar’s late introduction made the difference as PSG eventually broke the deadlock in stoppage time.
Real Madrid will have a difficult job in the second leg as they will likely face all three of Neymar, Mbappe and Messi for the entire game.
The second leg of the UEFA Champions League Round-of-16 tie between the two sides will take place on March 9.
