"This has to be the starting point" - Mauricio Pochettino hopes to see similar performances from PSG after Real Madrid win

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) took a significant step towards winning their first Champions League trophy on Tuesday night by beating Real Madrid 1-0. The Parisians were dominant in their first leg display and could have had a more favorable scoreline at the Parc de Princes last night.

The second leg is scheduled to be played on March 9 but PSG can be proud of their performance for now. They dominated Madrid to a point where the Galacticos failed to register a single effort on target, the first time in six years.

Real Madrid will no doubt want to challenge Paris in the second leg, but the situation appears comfortable for Mauricio Pochettino's men so far.

Speaking about the second leg, Pochettino said:

"We coaches are optimistic by nature. We have to respect Madrid and it's going to be a difficult game there. I'm also optimistic but we can't go down. This has to be the starting point. We hope to show this type of performances and you have to find that inner motivation to show more of that kind of performance."

The visitors came into the match with a defensive mindset. Ancelotti's men were clearly wary of the threat posed by Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe and put up a low block very early in the match.

Madrid's talisman Karim Benzema cut a lonely figure up top for the Galacticos. Returning after a three-match hiatus due to an injury, Benzema failed to galvanize his side going forward.

A cagey first half saw PSG drive the match but fail to find the back of the net. The second half had a lot more chances with the Parisian side getting a golden chance to go ahead when Dani Carvajal tripped Mbappe inside the box.

Messi, who had a record of 26 goals and 14 assists in 45 games (before yesterday) against Madrid, stepped up to take the spot-kick. Unfortunately for the PSG faithful, his shot was saved by Thibaut Courtois, who had a brilliant game in goal for Madrid.

However, Mbappe was on hand to give the Ligue 1 a vital win with a late goal. His solo effort, that saw him dribble past two opponents, resulted in a 1-0 win for PSG.

PSG boss Pochettino counting on Mbappe

Club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi's ambitious appointment of Mauricio Pochettino did not immediately yield any desirable outcomes. Conceding their staple Ligue 1 title to LOSC Lille, the Argentine's effectiveness has consistently remained under scrutiny. It is imperative now to produce results and display strong performances.

Pochettino will be counting on Mbappe again to help him win the Champions League. Speaking about the young French forward, the PSG boss said:

"I have been saying that he [Mbappé] has incredible maturity despite his youth and is one of the best in the world. I have been working with him for almost a year and a few months and you see him every day. He is top."

The pressure on Pochettino is also there due to the fact that he commands one of the best squads in Europe.