Paris St Germain hosted Real Madrid in the early morning of February 16 (3:00, Vietnam time) as the most notable match in the first leg of the 1/8 round of the Champions League. PSG's ambition, Real Madrid's position and class are enough to create attraction, but the match is much awaited with the presence of the world's top stars.
The attacking trio Lionel Messi, Neymar, Kylian Mbappe of the home team, the famous midfield trio Casemiro, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos of Real Madrid. PSG have Italian EURO 2020 champions such as Gianluigi Donnarumma, Marco Verratti, while Real Madrid have Karim Benzema winning the UEFA Nations League with France, or the confrontation of compatriots on both sides of the front line makes the match at the Prince's Park more splendid.
However, not every star-studded match means a rain of goals. The reason is that, at the same level, they understand each other enough to always be vigilant. So, the question for tonight's match in Paris is, where is the "explosion point"?
First of all, it is necessary to raise the issue of the starting lineups of both sides. If as expected, in addition to Messi and Mbappe, PSG will have Neymar returning after a period of injury. Similarly, Real Madrid's Benzema are said to be ready to attack Vinicius Junior.
On the individual front, Benzema are in top scoring form - 24 goals in all competitions, followed by Mbappe1) and Vinicius (15). Therefore, when combined, 2 Real Madrid players (39 goals) scored more than 3 PSG strikers (Messi 7 goals, Neymar 3 goals).
Which of these can bring goals? Benzema scored the most but has just recovered from injury, so it is not easy. Neymar is the same, and is also noticed for his cumbersome playing style.
Messi is a "gold spirit" of Real Madrid with 26 goals in 45 confrontations, but since 2018 - after Cristiano Ronaldo left Real Madrid, the Argentine superstar has not scored any more goals against Los Blancos (7 matches). The factor that makes it difficult for Messi to continue to "shoot" Real Madrid's net is that in addition to the fact that the opponent has overly understood them, Messi is still not surrounded by satellites that create a destructive playing style like Barcelona before. Mbappe has been quite good at tying up with Messi recently, but mostly in Ligue 1 matches.
Mbappe and Vinicius are young, have speed and technique, but to become an "explosion point", they need connection and support from other players. In a top match like this, it is not easy for them.
The way Mauricio Pochettino and Carlo Ancelotti choose to play will also have an influence on the match deciding factor. Playing at high intensity, Real Madrid has a slight advantage thanks to their counter-attacking ability and there, Marco Asensio can be a factor to benefit. But in the case of playing in a situation where they are always on the cards, PSG can have an advantage if their stars know how to move and attract them. If he can do that, Georginio Wijnaldum can be the player who creates change thanks to his ability to operate silently and choose a place.
If Neymar and Benzema do not start, Angel di Maria and Gareth Bale are considered two surprising factors. Di Maria impressed in PSG's 3-0 win over Real Madrid in Paris in 2019 and is still in good form. Bale may be a bit uncomfortable, but the way he showed up in last weekend's game against Villarreal, the opponent just needs to pay the price.
Everyone wants to watch a top match with many goals, but when the "explosion points" are taken care of, that possibility is not much (of course unless someone shoots at their feet or makes too many mistakes).
PSG don't have Sergio Ramos waiting for big shots. Long-range shooting will not be a feasible solution when both goalkeepers are excellent. Will the reserve factor make a difference?
