PSG vs Real Madrid – Champions League: Live score, lineups and updates
PSG vs Real Madrid LIVE: Champions League heavyweights clash in HUGE last-16 first leg, with Neymar on the bench after returning from injury and Karim Benzema up front for visitors
- Paris Saint-Germain host Real Madrid in the last-16 of the Champions League
- All eyes will be on PSG striker Kylian Mbappe amid Real Madrid’s interest in him
- Both teams have aspirations of the title and the first leg could be nip-and-tuck
- PSG XI: Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Kimpembe, Nuno Mendes; Paredes, Danilo Pereira, Verratti; Di Maria, Messi, Mbappé
- REAL MADRID XI: Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Alaba, Mendy; Casemiro Kroos, Modric; Asensio, Benzema, Vinicius Jnr
- READ: PSG special report on the French side’s rise to a global powerhouse
- Latest Champions League news, including live action and results
The Champions League is back and what a mouthwatering clash we have in store to kickstart the first legs of the last-16 with Real Madrid taking on Paris Saint-Germain in the French capital.
All eyes – from both benches and boardrooms – will be on PSG striker Kylian Mbappe, a player who is widely expected to end up at Real Madrid when his contract expires at the end of this season.
For now he wears the colours of PSG and he will look to put a dent in the title ambitions of his likely next employer with a matchwinning display at the Parc des Princes tonight.
Follow Sportsmail’s NATHAN SALT for live Champions League coverage of Paris Saint-Germain vs Real Madrid, including build-up, team news and updates.
Host commentator
Joe Cole to BT Sport: “I think PSG will win. Ancelotti has made a mistake with an experienced midfield, PSG will have too much legs for them.”
The Champions League anthem is great, isn’t it? I can’t get enough of it.
45 minutes until kick-off as anticipation and expectation builds in Paris!
PSG XI: Donnarumma, Hakimi, Marquinhos, Kimpembe, Mendes, Danilo, Paredes, Verratti, Mbappe, Messi, Di Maria.
Subs: Navas, Kurzawą, Kehrer, Dagba, Diallo, Wijnaldum, Herrera, Gueye, Simons, Draxler, Icardi, Neymar
Real Madrid XI: Courtois; Carvajal, Militão, Alaba, Mendy; Casemiro, Kroos, Modric; Vinicus Jr, Benzema, Asensio.
Subs: Lunin, Nacho, Marcelo, Valverde, Ceballos, Camavinga, Isco, Vasquez, Bale, Rodrygo, Jovic
A warm embrace between the two managers before the head into the heat of battle.
There’s a lot of mutual respect between Mauricio Pochettino and Carlo Ancelotti but both will know they cannot afford to be on the wrong side of the result tonight.
Benzema couldn’t resist the elephant in the room!
A grinning Karim Benzema admitted he could be playing alongside Kylian Mbappe at Real Madrid next season ahead of their Champions League duel in Paris on Tuesday.
‘Playing against Kylian is special because we play in the national side together,’ said Benzema. ‘Everyone knows that one day he could arrive at Madrid, but the most important thing is to play this game first and win it.’
FULL STORY HERE.
The pressure is on Mauricio Pochettino with the PSG boss expected to finally deliver the Champions League glory the club’s Qatari owners crave… and Man United’s chiefs will be watching mouth-watering last-16 clash with Real Madrid very closely
Mauricio Pochettino valiantly tried to deflect some of the pressure but the Paris Saint-Germain boss was fooling nobody.
‘PSG have been waiting to win this tournament for over 50 years. We are the challengers – it’s the opponents who have made a habit of winning the competition,’ he said on the eve of their mouth-watering Champions League tie with Real Madrid.
Seeking to paint PSG – backed by their Qatari billions, with a forward line of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe – as the plucky underdogs was quite the psychological ploy.
FULL FEATURE HERE.
SPECIAL REPORT: PSG have become a global powerhouse since their takover a decade ago… Parc des Princes now rivals Real Madrid’s Bernabeu as a prime destination for the world’s best and 150m follow the Ligue 1 giants, but loyal fans are turning away
This is brilliant by my colleague HARRY SLAVIN and really sets the tone for the night on the transformation of PSG in 10 years of Qatari ownership.
PSG XI vs Real Madrid: Donnarumma – Hakimi, Marquinhos, Kimpembe, Nuno Mendes – Paredes, Danilo Pereira, Verratti – Di Maria, Messi, Mbappé
Neymar is fit enough for a place on the substitutes’ bench having not played since December 1.
The hosts tonight are in no rush to drop their line-up, it seems, but don’t they look smart entering the stadium tonight? A huge 90 minutes ahead in a competition that makes or breaks their season.
Absolutely no messing around from the LaLiga leaders as they named their starting XI TWO HOURS early…
It really doesn’t get much bigger than Paris Saint-Germain against Real Madrid to kick-off the knockout stages of the Champions League, does it?
We’ve got Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe starting on one side while Karim Benzema has been ruled fit enough to lead the line for the visiting Spaniards.
Stick with me throughout the evening for all the updates at the Parc des Princes for this last-16 first leg…
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