Real Madrid vs Paris Saint-Germain: A tactical overview

The clash between Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain has everything in it to be called a blockbuster. A reigning champion who is struggling, a superstar who wants to prove himself, a manager who is fighting to continue his legacy, a manager who is out to prove that he can compete with the best, and finally a teenager who is making his mark in Europe. This tie is definitely is the clash everyone has been waiting for.

Real Madrid would have been the last team PSG would have wanted in their pursuit to be a dominant force in Europe's premier competition. Real Madrid, on the other hand, are also not having a season they would have hoped for; they were knocked out by Leganes in the Copa del Rey and are 17 points behind La Liga leaders FC Barcelona.

The games over the two legs have much more than Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar Jr. to it, there will be a lot of key battles that will decide the contest. Here are the tactical spots that could decide the blockbuster tie.

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#1 Neymar vs Real Madrid defence

Neymar is a man on a mission

Dani Carvajal is suspended for the first leg of the round of 16 tie against Paris Saint-Germain because a late yellow card he received against Apoel Nicosia. The only right-back available to the reigning champions is Achraf Hakimi. The young Moroccan defender will have a lot on his shoulders.

The Real Madrid defence has been far from what they were last season; they have suffered due to poor display and constant injuries to key defenders Ramos and Varane. Marcelo also has been inconsistent with his performances this season.

The former Barcelona star is acing in his first season at the French capital. He already has 28 goals and 16 assists to his name so far in all competitions, and the business end of the season is yet to arrive.

The PSG attack has much more to it than Neymar, but with Carvajal out because of suspension, he will have to confidence and freedom to play around. Kylian Mbappe and Edinson Cavani will also have a huge say in this game but players like Ramos, Varane, and Marcelo have the potential to compete with them.

The challenges he left Barcelona for, are matches like these when a player solidifies his name in history. The stage has been set for the Brazilian to announce PSG on the European scale.

It would also be interesting to see how Real Madrid would tackle his pace and skills in the left wing with Carvajal being out of the first leg.

#2 Unai Emery vs Zinedine Zidane

Zinedine Zidane will be looking to prove his doubters wrong

The tactical battle between the managers will be a focal point in the race for a quarter-final berth. Zinedine Zidane is proving to be the best manager Real Madrid have had in the last decade. He has led them to two consecutive Champions League titles, and their first La Liga in four years.

This season is turning out to be a tough one for him at the Bernabeu, and with the title race almost over, this is his only chance to win silverware this season.

Unai Emery on the other side has been given the job to make PSG a dominant force in Europe. Last season they were beaten in an unbelievable tie against Barcelona, but this season with Neymar and Mbappe leading their attack they look like an unstoppable force.

Zidane usually goes with 4-3-3 with Bale, Benzema and Cristiano (BBC) leading the line, when all three of them are fit. The second option for him is a 4-3-1-2, with Isco being the free midfielder in the diamond-shaped midfield. As Gareth Bale was out injured most of last season, Isco became an essential part of the team and led Los Blancos to a double.

Unai Emery has been shifting his playing eleven quite a bit. This shows the squad depth they possess.The front three usually has been Neymar, Mbappe, and Cavani, but Di Maria has shown great intensity in his last few performances. While this opens up an option in the attacking front, Emery but has been undecided with his midfield throughout this season, rotating players many times.

#3 The midfield battle

Luka Modric can dissect any defence on his day

One of the main reasons why Paris Saint-Germain could humiliate Barcelona in the first leg last season was because of a splendid display by their midfield. It would be an arduous task to beat Real Madrid's midfield because of the intensity with which they play.

Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, and Casemiro form one of the best midfield trios of the last decade; they were the reason behind the back-to-back Champions League triumphs for Real Madrid.

These three will definitely start for Real Madrid, but the question is will Isco be a part of the four-man midfield or the team from Madrid will opt for a front three? Zidane sometimes surprises us by starting Mateo Kovacic in big games along with Luka Modric and Toni Kroos, but the probability of this is very low because Casemiro has been an integral part of the reigning champions.

PSG's midfield has also made a lot of shifts this season but Adrien Rabiot and Marco Verrati have cemented their place in the team. Julian Draxler, Thiago Motta, Angel Di Maria have been a few players who have been an option for their midfield. The options for the team from France has increased because of their new signing Lassana Diarra.

The best of games are decided in this part of the pitch, and it would a visual treat for the fans to these two teams fight out for a spot in the quarter-finals.

#4 Cristiano Ronaldo vs Thiago Silva

Ronaldo is back to his scoring ways in 2018

Cristiano Ronaldo looks to be back at his best after contributing seven goals and two assists in 2018. The current Ballon d'Or winner would try to deliver his best and show the world why he was the winner of the most coveted individual prize in football.

Ronaldo became the first player ever to score in every game of the group stage in a Champions League season. Gareth Bale has been in form but Karim Benzema has been misfiring this season. Even though Ronaldo is having a poor season by his standards, he is still the best forward in Real Madrid's team.

Thiago Silva was considered to be one of the best defenders in the world, but his status as that has been questioned since his move to France. The captain of Les Parisiens would be up for every challenge in front of him as he wants to captain his team to European glory.

The team from Paris would love to knock the reigning champions and make their mark in the competition.