"We can control the match" - PSG star Marco Verratti in bullish mood ahead of UEFA Champions League clash against Real Madrid

Marco Verratti was in a confident mood ahead of PSG's Champions League second leg at Real Madrid. The Italian believes they can control the game and work on counter-attacks if needed.

Paris Saint-Germain won the first leg in dramatic fashion after Kylian Mbappe slotted home the winner in injury time. A 1-0 lead has given them an edge in the tie, but the Ligue1 side are aware of the competition in front of them.

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While speaking with PSG TV, Verratti sounded confident of making it to the next round and said:

"We will have to do even better than what we did at the Parc, because we know that these players, at home, will inevitably play differently. I think that with the players we have, we can control the match. We also have a team that can play on the counter-attack, because with the speed we have up front, with great players who can pass, with Messi, Neymar Jr, Di Maria, Kylian, when we have space, we can be even more dangerous."

The PSG midfielder continued:

"I don't think we can think about the first leg and the result too much. It's like we played the first half and we've still got the second half to play. We've got a slight advantage but that doesn't mean anything. We can't just look to defend, especially because that's not our style of play. We don't know how to do that. We'll need to try and play our game and be at 100%, whether it's mentally or technically. We need to do our best to put in a big performance because against Madrid, 80% won't be enough. They won't give us anything for free. We'll need to earn qualification."