UEFA Champions League: PSG vs. Real Madrid Preview, Odds, Prediction

PSG and Real Madrid bring the derby of the UEFA Champions League round of 16. The two powerhouses will have their first meeting in Paris, at Parc des Princes Stadium. We’ve seen them often clashing over the recent few years, once in the knockout stage as well. Even though they sit first in the respective domestic championships, neither side plays impressive football. Some say that it is because of the conservative style Pochettino and Ancelotti prefer, others that the reasons are different. Future will tell which ones are right.

Preview

PSG (+100) squeezed out the win against Rennes in the last event before the clash with Real. Mbappe scored in the stoppage time for 1-0, and a good atmosphere in the locker room. The Saints have only one loss in the past 14 games, and that was against Nice in the French Cup, after penalties.

The Parisians bounced back after that furiously, defeating Lille on the road, 1-5. Just to remind you that they lost the title and the Cup against this unit last season. It was arguably the best game for Pochettino’s squad in three months.

When playing at home, PSG is very strong, especially the attacking part of the crew. We’ve seen them scoring twice or more in seven of the last 10 games at Parc des Princes. Though, Messi and the guys struck only one score in the previous 180 minutes here.

Real Madrid (+200) is getting away with undeserved victories throughout the entire campaign. Even the matches in which they didn’t play well at all, end with Los Blancos triumphing. But in the last four games, they managed to deliver only one victory.

The primary reason for that was a poor offense, as Real scored one goal in 270 minutes. Karim Benzema’s absence is felt massively, and Ancelotti doesn’t have the player able to cover up his absence. Those three contests all ended with one or no goals.

Real’s tactic is pretty simple. Close all the paths towards the goal, and form a tight block ahead of the box. After winning the possession, the target is Vinicius and the young Brazilian is in charge of leading the break.

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Due to a calf injury, Sergio Ramos won’t play against his former team. Herrera is out too, the same as Letellier and Michut. Neymar picked up an ankle injury a long time ago, and he can’t attack the old rivals.

Benzema is the sole unavailable player on Real’s roster. Yet, his impact is greater than all the PSG’s absent players have on the team.

Head to Head Games

PSG and Real played in the 2019 UCL group stage, and the French powerhouse won at home, 3-0, while the rematch ended 2-2. In 2018, they were in the knockout stage as well, and Real eliminated the opponents winning in both clashes, 1-2 in Paris and 3-1 at home.

Prediction

The best thing to do here is to bet on low efficiency. It is the first leg, and we are sure that Pochettino and Ancelotti won’t risk too much, which is why under 2.5 goals imposes as the best choice.

Pick: Under 2.5 goals +120