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What could've been an incredibly dramatic battle is slightly tempered by the long list of absentees. Neymar and Sergio Ramos are the biggest actors missing from this proverbial stage through suspension along with Nacho for Real Madrid. Injuries to Luka Modric and Kylian Mbappe have ruled the duo out of the tie as well.
Regardless of the absences, the stage is set for the clash of these heavyweights who will have aspirations towards this year's crown. PSG will begin their campaign with renewed fervour as they look to cover themselves with European glory and break their Round of 16 hoodoo.
Real Madrid, on the other hand, will be spurred on by a man who has won the Champions League in every campaign as manager so far.
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Kickoff Information
Date: 19 September 2019
Time: 00:30 IST
Venue: Parc des Princes
Referee: Anthony Taylor
Live Stream: Sony LIV
Form Guide
Paris Saint Germain: W-W-W-L-W
Real Madrid: W-D-D-W-L (including friendlies)
Head-to-head
Paris Saint Germain: 2
Real Madrid: 4
Draw: 2
Key Players
Angel Di Maria
With Mbappe, Neymar, and Julian Draxler out through injuries and suspensions, the creative burden for this team will fall on the shoulders of former Real Madrid player Angel di Maria. He has shown in the past that he can be an influential player for his side and drag them over the line, but he may have to do a lot of it on his own this time.
Striker Edinson Cavani is also returning from injury and is likely to make it back in time for this game. However, he's the kind of forward who thrives on good service and it'll be Di Maria's job to provide that.
Karim Benzema
Benzema leads the scoring charts for Real Madrid so far with four goals in the league. It has been the primary issue they've needed to address since Cristiano Ronaldo left for Juventus.
The defensive frailties are still well-documented, but Madrid have always been able to outscore their opponents and Benzema has to replace a large share of goals that Ronaldo scored for them.
Key Match Facts
PSG have not kept a clean sheet in their last six UEFA Champions League games at home.
This is Real Madrid's 24th appearance in the Champions League and they have made it to the knockout phases on all previous occasions.
Real Madrid have won 14 of their last 22 away fixtures, registering a loss only four times.
Betting Odds (from Bet365)
Paris Saint Germain: 2.20
Real Madrid: 3.60
Draw: 3.20
Match Prediction
Thomas Tuchel and Zinedine Zidane will not ask their teams to sit back and defend. We are in for an attacking game, but PSG may not have the firepower to overpower this Real Madrid side. With Cavani not at 100% as yet and Mbappe and Neymar missing, it's difficult to see where the goals will come from for this team.
Real Madrid, on the other hand, with Hazard, Bale or Vinicius, and Benzema in attack, could find their groove quite quickly.
PSG 1-3 Real Madrid
