UCL Ro16 2021/22 | PSG vs Real Madrid

Mbappe will be free to sign for us before this game. hmm.

Wonder if Madrid will pull a Goetze and announce the signing before one of the matches.

we should and psg will likely bench mbappe in retaliation

Hakimi is definitely conceding a penalty from a Vinicius dribble btw

i preferred benfica, smh

I refuse to get knocked out in the round of 16. Madrid better win this. Don't really care if it's an ugly win. We have to go through.

PSG looks like crap in Ligue 1, but I feel their main issues might be lessened against Madrid. Because of their ball progression issues they struggle against teams who press extremely high up the pitch and teams who park the bus. Madrid doesn’t do either. So the added space could lead to an end to end game which might be to their advantage. Messi playing centrally and Di Maria playing on the wings will give PSG better defensive balance too.

Then again they look like complete shit every time I see them. So it really wouldn’t surprise me if Madrid beats them convincingly. They have the better coach. They’ll certainly win the midfield battle unless Verratti puts in an all timer performance. Militao, Alaba, and Casemiro should take care of the central threat from Messi. Vinicius will likely win his duels against Hakimi. Then there’s Benzema who will probably bully Kimpembe.

Though PSG just needs one counter where Messi gets the ball and puts his head up to see a running Mbappe. Their goalies are also at a really high level. Against City they were saved by them then just needed one chance from one of their forwards to score. So even if they play like shit they just need one moment of magic to completely change the game state.

It has the recipe of a great game.

Openly rooting for Madrid here.

They've earned everyones respect, this near legendary core team not to mention CL GOAT in Carlo who also has done it with them.

PSG inspire nothing in me as only Mbappe and Verratti and to an extent Messi when he is on song, are fun to watch otherwise its a typical Poch team who can grind results but have a rather substandard system.

mbappe tonight pic.twitter.com/HjfA9qA4hV

— ً (@statutos__) February 15, 2022

PSG is actually playing 3 at the back

Casciavit wrote:Hakimi Carvajal is definitely conceding a penalty from a Vinicius Mbappé dribble btw

Fixed.

Horrible game, Real just sitting back and PSG with no compactness or pressure whatsoever. Your average lower table Bundesliga game has more intensity than this shit.

I'm just here for the Donnarumma spillover/mispass

Issue is that Di Maria is old and has lost speed... same with Messi... no speed in midfield... and fullbacks who have speed can't overcommit because of defensive responsibilities. Not that Mendes can make a cross anyhow.

So it's left to Mbappe to create pressure all by himself. Been like this all year.

What an awful watch so far ffs

Madrid are camped in their own half but PSG lack any urgency off the ball

sportsczy wrote:Issue is that Di Maria is old and has lost speed... same with Messi... no speed in midfield... and fullbacks who have speed can't overcommit because of defensive responsibilities. Not that Mendes can make a cross anyhow.

So it's left to Mbappe to create pressure all by himself. Been like this all year.

Is Neymar likely to come on?

Best half of football from PSG this season, completely dominating Refdrid.

Casciavit wrote:

sportsczy wrote:Issue is that Di Maria is old and has lost speed... same with Messi... no speed in midfield... and fullbacks who have speed can't overcommit because of defensive responsibilities. Not that Mendes can make a cross anyhow.

So it's left to Mbappe to create pressure all by himself. Been like this all year.

Is Neymar likely to come on?

Yeah but what is he going to do. He's barely played all year.

Real very disciplined... so despite no more away goals rules, teams still being cautious in the first leg.

PSG playing better than they normally are though compared with the league, but yea the same issues remain. Would like to see some more ambitious subs if Poch has any balls. Basically playing with 2 DMs...

sportsczy wrote:

Casciavit wrote:

sportsczy wrote:Issue is that Di Maria is old and has lost speed... same with Messi... no speed in midfield... and fullbacks who have speed can't overcommit because of defensive responsibilities. Not that Mendes can make a cross anyhow.

So it's left to Mbappe to create pressure all by himself. Been like this all year.

Is Neymar likely to come on?

Yeah but what is he going to do. He's barely played all year.

His dribbling can break Madrid’s disciplined defensive lines. Though I’m unsure if I’d bring him on. It’ll probably ruin them off the ball.

PSG is playing a 3-4-1-2 offensively with Danilo slotting in at RCB. Their structure is good in terms of coping against counters. They lack some presence against Madrid’s back line though. Messi, Mbappe and Di Maria are all moving toward the ball instead of pinning any of the defenders back. At least Mbappe can up the tempo when he gets it the others can’t.

Poche isn't adjusting at all... hasn't all year.