PSG 3-0 Real Madrid: 4 Talking Points | UEFA Champions League 2019/2020

#3 PSG send a statement of intent to rivals over Champions League seriousness

PSG blew Real Madrid away

Since their takeover by Qatar Sports Investment in 2010, PSG have seen their fortunes transformed massively, and they are regularly named among the top teams in Europe.

With an oil-rich sovereign state's wealth almost entirely at their disposal, it comes as no surprise that PSG have bought some of the best players in the world over the last few years, and currently have the two most expensive players of all time on their books.

However, while domestic supremacy has been achieved without breaking a sweat, it is on the continent where the club's true aspirations lie, but rather painfully, they have always come up short when paired with the big boys and have failed to make the semifinal of the Champions League despite over a billion pounds being spent on player recruitment.

Two of the aforementioned most expensive players in Neymar and Kylian Mbappe were missing from the clash against Real Madrid, with the former facing a suspension while the latter has fitness issues, and neither could Thomas Tuchel call on the services of Edinson Cavani who was also ruled out by injury.

The three are the main attacking threat of PSG, and one would have been forgiven for writing off the home side's chances of getting anything from the match.

However, the Parisians totally upset the odds by absolutely outclassing Real Madrid over the course of the 90 minutes.

They caged their visitors' much-vaunted attack, ensuring that celebrated forwards like Hazard, Benzema and Gareth Bale failed to get a shot on target, while their midfield was also exquisite in the performance of their duties.

Upfront, Mauro Icardi combined well with Pablo Sarabia showing that he can be counted upon in the continued absence of Cavani, and it was an all-round wonderful display from Thomas Tuchel's men.

In total, they had nine shots, with five of those being on target while they also had more possession (53%) and attempted more passes (619 to 554) than their visitors, posting an 89% pass accuracy.

For all of their struggles, Real Madrid are still an elite club and as recently as last year were three-peat Champions League winners and the fact that PSG were able to effortlessly dispatch them even without the presence of their key players would have sent alarm bells ringing to the rest of Europe.