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Real Madrid hosted Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 stage. As soon as the game began, Real Madrid showed a clear intent with their pressing. It worked perfectly as PSG fell right into it as they were trying to play out of the back.
However, PSG were the first one to strike. A delicate backheel touch by Neymar was laid up perfectly for Adrien Rabiot who struck it with his right foot giving the French side the lead.
Real Madrid didn't take much longer to respond. A silly foul committed by Giovani Lo Celso gave a penalty to the home side, which was converted by Ronaldo. It was a breathless first half and the teams went into the break level.
In the second half, Zidane brought on Marco Asensio which proved to have an instant impact on the game. The Spaniard played the important pass for Ronaldo and Marcelo's goal which gave Real a 3-1 win heading into the second leg.
Here are the player ratings from the game.
Paris Saint-Germain
Alphonse Areola - 8/10
Despite conceding three, the young Frenchman had a good game. His first major save of the game was off his face of Ronaldo's shot. He was brave and came out of his line to catch the crosses.
Dani Alves - 7/10
The Brazilian made a shift. He started the game in his natural position but as the game progressed into the later stages he made the move forward, becoming a part of the attacking three after Cavani was substituted.
Presnel Kimpembe - 5/10
He was a surprise inclusion ahead of PSG captain, Thiago Silva. He didn't have the best of games as he was pressurized with Real's pressing and he was exposed for his shakiness.
Marquinhos - 5/10
The centre-back had taken over the captain's armband following Thiago Silva's omission. However, he didn't show much leadership skills as his defence was scattered resulting from the pressure caused by the Real Madrid high pressing.
Yuri Berchiche - 5/10
Layvin Kurzawa's absence meant a chance for the 28-year-old. But, he didn't do a good job filling in as he didn't possess much quality especially going forward.
Marco Verratti - 6/10
The Italian midfielder was decent for the Parisiens in midfield. He had a pass completion rate of 87.5% but managed to create only one chance for his team.
Giovani Lo Celso - 4/10
Lo Celso was exposed as the weak link of the PSG team. He gave away a penalty in the first half when he put his hand on Kroos. His inexperience was exposed and was also caught out of position. Surprisingly, he stayed on the pitch until the 84th minute.
Adrien Rabiot - 7/10
Rabiot scored the opening goal of the game, finishing it off with his weaker right foot. Other than his goal he didn't have much impact on the game.
Kylian Mbappe - 7/10
The Frenchman was lightning quick on the right flank. He impressed with his skills and trickery but failed to find any key passes for Cavani or Neymar.
Edinson Cavani - 4/10
Cavani had literally disappeared in the game. He registered only one shot in the entire game and didn't get much involved in the link up or build up play.
Neymar - 8/10
PSG's asset had a fair game. He provided the exquisite backheel assist for Rabiot's goal. He was a constant feature on the left flank against Nacho Fernandez. An early yellow card prevented him from doing any sort of simulation or acts for the rest of the game.
Substitutes:
Thomas Meunier - 5/10
The Belgian right-back replaced Cavani in the 66th minute and later received a yellow card late in the game.
Julian Draxler - N/A
The German midfielder was introduced very late in the game and received only six minutes of action.
Real Madrid
Keylor Navas - 7/10
Navas didn't have many saves to make as he would have expected. However, when he was called upon, he was up to the task and made a couple of good saves.
Nacho - 7/10
Nacho once again proved his versatility by filling in for the suspended Dani Carvajal. He made a good shift and stayed on track with Neymar.
Raphael Varane - 8/10
The French defender was one of the standouts. He made two blocks and contained the PSG attack.
Sergio Ramos - 7/10
Ramos' defensive pairing with Varane put forward their best performance, making important blocks. There was a shout for handball during the game but it was evident that the ball hit the Real captain on his arm.
Marcelo - 9/10
Marcelo had one of his best games of this season. He was constantly running up and down the flanks. There was an injury scare early in the game but it wasn't critical. He was rewarded for his efforts when he deservingly put his name on the scoresheet.
Luka Modric - 6/10
The Croatian had dived just outside the box but was surprisingly not booked. Despite having a fairly quiet game, Modric was still decent as he did his job well.
Toni Kroos - 7/10
The German midfielder earned the penalty for Real. Other than that, he also went about with his job in midfield putting in the shift and the set-piece deliveries.
Casemiro - 6/10
The Brazilian midfielder also had a fairly decent game. Defensively, he made four interceptions and won six tackles.
Isco - 5/10
Isco's inclusion in the starting 11 was a surprise. However, he didn't impress much and had a bad game, not creating much for his frontline.
Karim Benzema - 7/10
Zidane's persistence of sticking with Benzema proved to be rewarding in some sorts. He was more involved in the game, unlike Cavani. His best chance was when he shot a beautiful left footed shot from outside the box which was eventually saved by Areola.
Cristiano Ronaldo - 9/10
CR7 once again turned up on a Champions League night. He scored the important equalizer from the penalty spot and scored his second giving his team the lead. He broke another record by reaching the landmark of 100 UEFA Champions League goals with Real Madrid.
Substitutes:
Gareth Bale - 6/10
Bale's exclusion from the starting 11 was a major surprise. He anyway made his appearance by replacing Benzema in the 68th minute. He did have an impact with his lightning-fast pace on the right flank, cutting on his left foot.
Marco Asensio - 10/10
Asensio justified himself as a super sub. He came in the 79th minute and instantly had an influence on the game. He played a crucial part in setting up the goals for both Ronaldo and Marcelo.
Lucas Vazquez - N/A
Vazquez made a late appearance in the game and did not have much of an involvement.
