PSG vs Real Madrid

Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid go head-to-head at the Parc des Princes in the first leg of their mouth-watering UEFA Champions League last-16 tie.

PSG have advanced to the Champions League knock-outs as Group A runners-up, finishing a point adrift of section-toppers Manchester City (W3, D2, L1). All of PSG’s three victories in the competition this campaign came on home soil, with ‘Les Parisiens’ averaging 3.0 goals per match. Against this backdrop, runaway Ligue 1 leaders have only racked up one victory in their last six Champions League knock-out games at the Parc des Princes, losing four of the other five in that run (D1). Despite making it to the Champions League semi-finals last season, PSG went winless in all three knock-out home fixtures (D1, L2), scoring just twice in that period. Additionally, Paris succumbed to a 2-1 defeat the last time they hosted Real Madrid in the Champions League knock-out stages back in the 2017/18 round of 16.

On the other hand, Real Madrid picked themselves up following an embarrassing 2-1 home loss to Sheriff Tiraspol on Matchday 2, registering four consecutive group stage victories to finish top of Group D, five points clear of runners-up Inter Milan. Adding to the travelling fans’ confidence, Carlo Ancelotti’s men won all three Champions League group stage fixtures this season by an aggregate score of 9-0. Incidentally, the last time they made a perfect four-game away start to a Champions League campaign was during Ancelotti’s first tenure in 2014/15. But ‘Los Blancos’ only narrowly edge the overall H2H record against Paris in European football (W4, D3, L3), going winless in their last two Champions League meetings in a row (D1, L1). Yet, Los Merengues boast an intimidating Champions League last-16 record of late, with just one loss from their last 11 such contests (W8, D2).