Real Madrid left Paris with a narrow defeat (1-0) in a match in which they were at the mercy of PSG, but in which he carried out a commendable defensive exercise, led by an Imperial Militao. Only Mbappé was able to pierce the white goal in the final minutes. Earlier, Courtois stopped several clear chances, including a Messi penalty. But he couldn’t stop Mbappé, PSG’s best.
Courtois: Despite PSG’s dominance in the first half, they didn’t have too much work before the break. Of course, the one who had took it out: he closed the door to Mbappé in the clearest. He had to go long, sometimes with his bad leg, due to the suffocating pressure of the French. In the second half he had to multiply: first he cleared a shot with Mbappé’s poison and then he grew bigger to stop a penalty from Messi; he was also very confident in several long shots, all saveable. He couldn’t stop that last chance for Mbappé, with everything going for him.
Carvajal: You will remember this game for a while, Mbappé gave you plenty of work. In the first half, the Frenchman started the match by escaping from him with a targeted control and then sitting him on his ass with a dizzying cut. Then he sneaked into his back to have the clearest of PSG before the break, although the Spaniard bothered him enough that he did not finish comfortably. He tried to stop her from turning around to better control him, but it wasn’t always possible. In the second half, the Frenchman managed to get a clear penalty from him which, fortunately for Carvajal, was cleared by Courtois. He caught a trick from the Parisian in his last intervention of the match; he left in minute 72 for Lucas Vázquez to come in, totally melted by the effort.
Military: Imperial his first half, with constant help to Carvajal so as not to leave him alone in the fight against Mbappé. The presence of Messi as a false nine, appearing much more as a midfielder or midfielder, allowed the centrals to focus on the wings. The Brazilian even allowed himself some dangerous exit in the first half, from the little that Madrid generated before the break. In the second half he got a yellow card for a very hard tackle on Mbappé, but he did not lose concentration and continued at the same level.
Praise: Less exuberant than Militao in the first half, but just as effective. He was clairvoyant in several actions to the court to prevent balls with poison from passing. He perhaps lacked a little more participation in the beginning of the construction.
Mendy: covered his band better than Carvajal the right, but for obvious reasons; Di María, he is very good, he is not Mbappé. In fact, the Argentine ended up looking more for the inside zone when he saw that he couldn’t with the French. With the ball, very loose, causing dangerous losses. He received a yellow card for a tackle on Danilo that will prevent him from playing the second leg; an important loss for Madrid. In the final stretch Mbappé was placed on the right and gave him a headache.
modric: with hardly any ball in the first half, although in the early stages he made attempts to go outside, combining with Asensio and Benzema. Just before the break he found possession again, with PSG taking their foot off the accelerator, and something showed. The second part did not change the tone of the duel too much and the Croatian, like Kroos, noticed it. He left in 82 ‘for Valverde to come on.
Casemiro: vital together with the central defenders to contain PSG in the first half, especially to prevent Messi from doing any damage up front. At times, he was just another central defender. He got a yellow card for a hard tackle on Paredes that will prevent him from being in the lap; then he took the warning from Verratti. He made a dangerous header after a corner on the last play of the first half. After the break, despite the yellow, he did not wrinkle and entered everything forcefully.
Kroos: Even more missing than Modric in the first half, the German had a hard time without a ball to build with; he found something in the final stretch, just before the break. In the second half he had a little more ball, but when PSG raised the pressure again, the German suffered again.
Asensio: little of the Balearic in the first part; After the first time that Mbappé showed Carvajal his teeth, Asensio realized that it was a day to apply himself far behind, even if with that he would sacrifice his options up front. His changes from band to band, very precise, helped to vent at times. In the second part he looked a little more into the rival area, but without real danger. He left at 72 ‘for Rodrygo to come on.
Benzema: The first half began very absent, without balls, with Madrid too sharp. In the final stretch he was seen more, he made a couple of interesting starts possible, but without a shot. The second half was more of the same, he acted little and when he did, too far from the PSG box. He left in 87 ‘for Bale to come in.
Vinicius: he started looking for Achraf to tickle, but the Spanish-Moroccan was not fooled; then he tried pure speed, into space, but there the Madrid youth squad is difficult to overtake. He lacked the ball in the first few minutes, when he had it he wasn’t inspired either. After the break he did not find comfort to attack, Madrid’s offensives were few and without intensity. He left in 82 ‘for Hazard to come on.
Lucas Vazquez: he entered in the 72′ for Carvajal. New winger to give his teammate a break and to better contain Mbappé, which was impossible: he escaped to make it 1-0, in a spectacular action by the Frenchman.
Rodrygo: entered in the 72′ for Asensio. He was placed on the right, but little was seen; hardly any balls came to him. When they appeared, he tried his luck with passes to the front, to see if anything came up.
Valverde: entered in 82′ by Modric. Reinforcement for the midfield, oxygen after the great wear of the Croatian.
hazard: entered in 82′ for Vinicius. Little time to influence, although he tried to penetrate.
bale: entered in minute 87 for Benzema. To lose time and to see if he caught any of the counter.