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Real Madrid will make the trip to Paris Saint-Germain for the first leg of their highly anticipated Champions League Round of 16 clash on Tuesday night.
It will be a clash between the two Champions League favorites. Los Blancos may not have the great Cristiano Ronaldo at their disposal anymore, but they still have the quality and experience to go all the way. PSG, on the other hand, have only played in one UCL final in history, but their squad is arguably the best in the world.
It is almost impossible to predict the outcome of this electrifying Champions League clash. We will try and give you five battles whose outcomes could tip the scale one way or the other.
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Here are five key battles you should to keep an eye on when PSG host Los Blancos tonight:
#5 Luka Modric vs Marco Verratti
Luka Modric and Marco Verratti are two of the most celebrated central midfielders in the world. Both are capable of dictating the tempo of the match and are known to produce defense-piercing passes out of the blue.
36-year-old Luka Modric has taken part in almost every important game under Carlo Ancelotti this season. When on the pitch, he has gotten the better of players half his age, both in terms of quality and work rate.
The Croatian has also scored a couple of goals for Los Blancos this season and has it all to be the difference-maker on Tuesday night.
PSG’s Marco Verratti has had to deal with niggling injuries this campaign, but he’s currently fit and ready to fire.
The Parisians look a lot more organized with the Italian on the pitch and they’ll need their maestro to bring his "A game" against Madrid.
#4 Vinicius Junior vs Achraf Hakimi
Academy graduate Achraf Hakimi was originally meant to be a big part of Real Madrid’s future. Unfortunately, Los Merengues were not ready to give the Moroccan a regular birth ahead of Dani Carvajal and sold him permanently to Inter Milan in 2020.
The right-back was snapped up by PSG last summer and has since been one of the first names on the team sheet.
Hakimi will be up against Madrid’s in-form golden boy, Vinicius Junior, on Tuesday night.
Having already scored 15 times this season, the Brazilian is looking for a record-breaking campaign. Unfortunately, he will have a freakishly quick and scarily determined Achraf Hakimi to deal with.
Will Vinicius get the better of the former Los Blancos man with his pace and skills or will Hakimi neutralize the explosive 21-year-old left-winger? A fascinating tussle awaits in the Champions League tonight.
#3 Karim Benzema vs Marquinhos
Real Madrid will look up to Karim Benzema for inspiration in their Champions League Round of 16 tie against PSG. The Frenchman has once again been their primary goal-getter this season, netting 24 goals across competitions.
Unfortunately for the visitors, PSG’s ever-dependable centre-back Marquinhos will do everything in his power to make Benzema’s night miserable.
The Brazilian defender is exceptional in the air, reads the game rather well, and is likely to keep a close eye on Benzema’s off-the-ball movement.
If he can mark the Frenchman and nullify his contribution in the final third, PSG could have a firm foothold in the nail-biting Champions League tussle.
#2 Kylian Mbappe vs David Alaba
Both PSG and Real Madrid have all it takes to win the Champions League this season. They have excellent goalscorers, intelligent midfielders, and competent defenders, all capable of producing something special.
The fact they can match each other punch for punch bodes well for the neutrals, who are guaranteed to witness high-profile clashes all over the pitch.
The potential match-up between the electrifying Kylian Mbappe and the dependable David Alaba could have a major impact on the outcome of the match tonight.
The former Bayern Munich defender has settled in nicely at Madrid this season and has been leading their backline ferociously. He is intelligent, quick, and is not afraid to go for a tackle when needed.
Tonight he will have to go up against Los Blancos’ No.1 transfer target Kylian Mbappe. The Frenchman is one of the best in the world and has all it takes to carve open any defense in the world.
He has already scored 21 goals and provided 16 assists this season, emerging as PSG’s leading goal contributor.
#1 Lionel Messi vs Casemiro
Paris Saint-Germain signed Lionel Messi as a free agent in the summer of 2021. The Argentine has struggled a little in Ligue 1 this season, but has fired on all cylinders in the Champions League.
He has scored five goals in as many games in the continental competition and is eager to improve his tally against a familiar foe.
As admitted by Casemiro himself, stopping the former Barcelona No.10 is a group project. And while we have no qualms about the statement, we believe Casemiro will still have the most crucial role.
The Brazilian, who sits just ahead of the Real Madrid backline, will go head-to-head with Messi, who likes to operate in that hole.
Even one single misstep from the 29-year-old could give Messi the opportunity to punish Real Madrid, help him score his 27th career goal against them.
