Real Madrid vs PSG: 5 key player battles that will decide the outcome of the match

#3 Luka Modric vs Marco Verratti

Marco Verratti will have to keep Luka Modric quiet

Dominating the centre of the park often creates a solid foundation for a team to go on and win the game. Big matches are often decided by which team wins the midfield battle. For these two sides, Luka Modric and Marco Verratti are the players that make them tick and effortlessly create a link between the defence and the attack.

With both sides having a stellar attacking unit, the onus will be on the midfield to create the sort of impact for the forwards to build their good work upon. Real Madrid rely on Modric's ability to take the game to the opponents and also on his collectiveness in tight spaces.

Marco Verratti, on the other hand, is PSG deep-lying creator. He helps in retaining possession, circulates the ball as quickly as possible, and shields the defence without the ball. He is as crucial to the Parisians as Neymar.

The way that he man-marked Lionel Messi out of the first leg of the round of 16 last season still remains fresh in memory. Real Madrid tick when Luka Modric gets to influence the proceedings and PSG can only stop that from happening if Verratti gets an upper hand over the Croatian.