'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Real Madrid drew PSG in their 2021-22 UEFA Champions League Round of 16 fixture. The clash between the two titans is a standout fixture of the knockout stage. This will not be the first time Real Madrid and PSG will face each other at this stage of the competition, though.
Real Madrid hold a slender 4-3 advantage against the Parisians in the Champions League. Both teams are doing well in their respective leagues. While Madrid are the league leaders in La Liga, PSG have been the dominant side in Ligue 1 this season. Los Blancos are the traditional powerhouses in European football, while PSG are a rising superpower.
While Lionel Messi will be back in Spain for this highly anticipated clash against a familiar foe, for some players it will be a reunion with former teammates. With the stage set for an exciting two-legged round of 16 fixture between the two teams, we take a look at the top five players to have featured for both clubs.
Note: David Beckham is excluded from this list, as he only made a handful of appearances for PSG.
#5 Claude Makelele | Real Madrid 2000-2003; PSG 2008-2011
Claude Makelele is often regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders in the history of the game. He is credited with redefining the role of a defensive midfielder during his spell with Chelsea.
The Frenchman's move to Real Madrid in the summer of 2000 was somewhat controversial. That's because he refused to train with Celta Vigo and held out for a transfer to the Madrid giants.
He joined the club for €14 million, a bargain amount, and went on to enjoy the best spell of his career in Madrid. He won seven trophies with the La Liga giants, including the Champions League in 2002.
Makelele left Real Madrid in 2003 for Chelsea and after a successful five-year stint in the Premier League, where his defensive prowess made him a club legend. He signed for PSG in 2008.
While he did not have a trophy-laden spell with the Parisians, Makelele won the Coupe de France with them before retiring in 2011.
#4 Gabriel Heinze | PSG 2001-2004; Real Madrid 2007-2009
Gabriel Heinze is the only exception on our list to have played for PSG first and then joined Real Madrid subsequently. The Argentine defender, who mostly played as a left-back, had spells at both clubs, spending three seasons with PSG and two at Real Madrid.
He scored a penalty in the shootout of the 2003-04 Coupe de France semi-final against FC Nantes. Heinze helped the club went on to win the cup, which was their first silverware of the 21st century.
He failed to break into the first team at Real Madrid, though, making 44 appearances in La Liga in two seasons. He won the La Liga in his debut season, and after just two seasons there, returned to Ligue 1 with Marseille.
#3 Sergio Ramos | Real Madrid 2005 - 2021; PSG 2021 - present
We move onto the active players on our list - former Real Madrid captain and current PSG defender Sergio Ramos. The Sevilla academy product has struggled with injuries this year. Since his free transfer to PSG, he has managed just one appearance thus far.
He enjoyed a fruitful 16-year spell with Real Madrid, where he established himself as one of the greatest defenders of his generation. Apart from his defensive prowess, he made a name for himself for his goalscoring abilities and aggressiveness.
The game against a club he captained to four triumphs in the Champions League is expected to be an emotional one for the Spaniard. However, he has made it clear that he is ready to 'die' for PSG, just like he did so while playing for Real Madrid.
#2 Keylor Navas | Real Madrid 2014 - 2019; PSG 2019 - present
Another Champions League hero who switched allegiances from Real Madrid to PSG is Costa Rican goalkeeper Keylor Navas. Navas became a household name after impressive performances in the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He kept three clean sheets in the competition as Costa Rica unexpectedly reached the last eight of the competition for the first time.
Navas had previously won the LFP Goalkeeper of the year award in the 2013-14 La Liga campaign with Levante. That along with his exploits at the FIFA World Cup that summer earned him a move to the Santiago Bernabeu. Navas initially played second fiddle to club legend Iker Casillas in his first season, but rose to prominence since the 2015-16 campaign.
In his five-year stint with the club, Navas amassed 12 trophies. He joined PSG in 2019, and was part of the team that made it to the Champions League final, only to lose 1-0 to Bayern Munich.
He has continued to win silverware with the Ligue 1 giants. He will hope to put up a good shift in goal against his former club.
#1 Angel Di Maria | Real Madrid 2010 - 2014; PSG 2015 - present
Angel Di Maria has been a very consistent player throughout his career, except for his ill-fated move to Manchester United in 2014. He rose to prominence as one of the best wingers in the world during his spell at Real Madrid. Di Maria, with his pace, skill and vision, became a key player at the club.
His passing prowess in the final third has helped him rack up a lot of assists. Di Maria is one of the top assist providers in history for club and country. He won the Champions League with Los Blancos in 2014. Although he has won a lot of silverware since joining PSG, the Champions League title has eluded him.
With four-time winners Lionel Messi and Ramos by his side now, Di Maria might fancy his chances of lifting the trophy again. However, first up, he faces a stiff challenge from his former side in February.
