Real Sociedad vs Paris Saint-Germain

Real Sociedad have a high hill to climb if they’re to crash Paris Saint-Germain out of the Champions League last-16 as the two sides meet at the Reale Arena in the return leg.

Real Sociedad made a valiant attempt to avoid defeat in Paris but eventually slumped to a 2-0 loss in their first Champions League knockout game in 20 years. Sociedad’s form has descended into chaos since that encounter, with Imanol Alguacil’s side losing three of their four subsequent matches (W1) en route to crashing out of the Copa del Rey and falling behind La Liga’s top-six race. The San Sebastian outfit’s long-standing struggles against French opponents won’t improve the mood around the home camp (W2, D1, L4). A glimmer of hope stems from Sociedad going unbeaten in 13 of their last 19 European home games (W6, D7, L6). That record would count for nothing unless ‘La Real’ can arrest a dreadful run of seven consecutive winless home outings (D4, L3).

Visiting Paris Saint-Germain followed their first-leg success with a 2-0 win at Nantes in Ligue 1, but they’ve since drawn back-to-back matches against Monaco and Rennes. Worryingly for manager Luis Enrique, PSG’s only goal across those two encounters came from the spot, casting doubt on their bid to defy a disappointing five-game form in knockout away clashes against Spanish adversaries (W1, L4). Encouragingly, the first-leg triumph was only Paris’ fifth across their last 16 meetings with Spanish opponents (W5, D3, L8). It puts them in the driver’s seat to reach the quarter-finals, a feat they’ve failed to achieve in five of their last seven Champions League campaigns. Going undefeated in ten successive away games since a 2-1 loss at AC Milan in early November (W7, D3) will only consolidate PSG’s confidence ahead of this season-defining trip.