Paris Saint-Germain hosts Real Madrid tonight in a UCL round of 16 clash that is absolutely overflowing with storylines. Not only do you have a match-up here that would make a scintillating final, but the individual footballer narratives are prevalent everywhere.
Look around and you’ll find some guys facing the team: they used to play, they almost joined, were about to join but the club decided to sign someone else, etc. etc. etc. With that in mind, let’s dive right into the team news.
Real Madrid at Paris Saint-Germain UCL Rd of 16 FYIs
Kickoff: Tues Feb 15, 8pm, Parc Des Princes, Leg 1/2
Starting XI Predictions: go here
Google Result Probability (90 min): PSG win 49% Draw 25% Real Madrid 26%
Series History: PSG wins 3, Draw 3, Real Madrid wins 3
Odds: PSG win +100, Draw +270, Real Madrid win +260
TV: USA- CBS, Univision, TUDN UK- BT Sport 3
Team News for Both Sides
Long time Madrid Captain Sergio Ramos will miss out on the chance to face his former team due to his ongoing injury problems. Midfield maestro Ander Herrera is also ruled out while Neymar, the world’s all-time most expensive player, is aiming for a comeback here.
The Brazilian has been out since November. Flipping over to the visitors, Karim Benzema and Ferland Mendy both returned to training on Sunday, and the pair should, emphasis on should, be in the first team tonight. Finally, Gareth Bale, so injury-riddled that his fitness has become a persistent punchline, is a doubt for this one.
Prediction: PSG 2, Real Madrid 0
This is what the Ligue 1 powerhouse spent their whole offseason preparing for, spending all that money on players. They want to grab ol’ big ears for the very first time in their long storied history. That’s what signing Lionel Messi was all about.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.