The big-time clash between PSG and Real Madrid on Tuesday in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg looked set to end as it started, but Kylian Mbappe had other plans. The French attacker, linked with a summer move to Los Blancos when his current contract expires, scored a dramatic added time winner, splitting defenders after a pass from Neymar before nutmegging Thibaut Courtois for the 1-0 victory. The win sets Mauricio Pochettino's team up nicely to get a draw next month in Spain to advance.
The Parisians were by far the sharper and more threatening team, but a lack of quality chances and some inspired saves by Courtois looked set to cement a draw. Lionel Messi saw his second-half penalty kick saved by Courtois, marking the first time he has ever missed a penalty against the familiar foe. Messi had converted all six previous penalties against Los Blancos while playing for Barcelona. Courtois also denied Mbappe's second-best chance on goal, going low to push out a pacey effort.
But with PSG's pressure neutralizing Real's attack for nearly all of the 90 minutes, there was still hope for the hosts to get the winner, and who else but their most in-form player to do so under the Paris sky? It was truly a stunning final big moment of the match where Mbappe delivered, getting between Eder Militao and Lucas Vazquez with incredible pace and technical ability to slide it home. Here's the goal:
While Real largely defended well outside of a shocking display by Carvajal and that last lapse in play, Los Blancos did not ever look like a threat to score. They finished the match with just three shots and an xG of 0.14. Real had recorded over 10 shots in 33 of their last 34 matches. Their xG was also by far their lowest of the season in all competitions and also their lowest in years. Going back to the 2018-19 season, their lowest xG recorded was 0.41 against Huesca on Dec. 9, nearly three times more than they recorded on Tuesday.
The second leg between this two is set for March 9 at 3 p.m. ET from the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid.
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PSG player ratings
| Name | Minutes | How did they do? | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
(GK) Gianluigi Donnarumma | 90 | A safe pair of hands or feet when called upon, but it really was not that often since Real had 3 total shots and certainly not to the extent which opposite number Courtois was required to act. | 6 |
(DEF) Achraf Hakimi | 90 | Not as industrious as Mendes on the left, but the Moroccan was equal to Vinicius Junior whenever he posed a threat. | 6 |
(DEF) Marquinhos (C) | 90 | Another mature outing from the captain although he and his defenders did not have too much to worry about in the end. | 6 |
(DEF) Presnel Kimpembe | 90 | It was a solid defensive display, but in truth, Real did not test PSG nearly as much as they could have. | 6 |
(DEF) Nuno Mendes | 90 | Perhaps the game's outstanding performer aside from Mbappe, the Portuguese youngster was a constant threat to Real each time he went forward and combined effectively with Mbappe. His 78 touches were fourth most on PSG. | 8 |
(MID) Danilo Pereira | 85 | One of PSG's most impressive performers, the Portuguese produced a no-nonsense display despite picking up a yellow card. | 7 |
(MID) Leandro Paredes | 90 | Pochettino's gamble to start him paid off with the Argentine a disruptive influence and key in Casemiro's booking which suspends him for the second leg. However, aside from Messi denying him a strike at goal from range in the second half, he became less influential as the game wore on. | 6 |
(MID) Marco Verratti | 90 | The Italian's magnetic control ensured that he was never far from the action and he even managed to throw in a trademark booking as he came out on top in the midfield battle. He created 6 chances, the most in the side. | 8 |
(FWD) Lionel Messi | 90 | Linked up well with Mbappe at times, but faded as the match wore on and saw his penalty saved by the superb Courtois. Not nearly the same Messi who once tormented Real. | 5 |
(FWD) Kylian Mbappe | 90 | Electric. With all eyes on him, the Frenchman did not disappoint and gave Carvajal a particularly torrid time which resulted in him being scythed down for the penalty. Ultimately got the goal his performance merited and looked like it might go without. | 9 |
(FWD) Angel Di Maria | 72 | Missed a great early chance when teed up by Mbappe and although he worked hard, PSG could have done with Neymar's attacking nous from the off. | 6 |
| Substitutes | Replaced | How did they do? | Rating |
(SUB 1) Neymar | Di Maria | Lively as he made his return to action after months out injured and the free kick he won would normally have been ideally placed for Messi. His introduction tipped it in PSG's favor as he teed Mbappe up for the decisive goal. | 7 |
(SUB 2) Idrissa Gueye | Pereira | Sent on for Pereira as the game was dying out and got on the ball a few times. | 6 |
| Manager | Subs used | How did the manager do? | Rating |
Mauricio Pochettino | 2 | His initial match setup worked well in the first half, but he refused to change things up until Neymar came on towards the final quarter of an hour. Little to no in-game management once the press started to wear off and luckily Mbappe bailed him out at the death as he has frequently this season. | 6 |
Real Madrid ratings
| Name | Minutes | How did they do? | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
(GK) Thibaut Courtois | 90 | He was sensational. He denied Mbappe's first good chance and stopped a Lionel Messi penalty kick. What more do you want? His defense let him down. | 8 |
(DEF) Ferland Mendy | 90 | Everything went through Mbappe on the other side, so he had little to do. Seriously, he had zero tackles. Struggled with his duels but didn't have to do much. | 5 |
(DEF) David Alaba | 90 | Was able to stay with Mbappe well at times and had a team-high 4 interceptions. Not at fault on the goal at all as two others were marking Mbappe. | 6 |
(DEF) Eder Militao | 90 | Not his night. He largely held his own until him and Lucas Vazquez were put on skates during the late Mbappe winner. An unbelievable lapse in form. | 4 |
(DEF) Dani Carvajal | 72 | Absolutely putrid display. Mbappe ran circles around him numerous times, and he also conceded the penalty kick. It was a night to forget, and there is no way he starts the second leg. | 1 |
(MID) Toni Kroos | 90 | His passing was sharp in terms of percentage, but they were largely square passes. When it was going forward, it just was below average. Ended up with an expected assist total of 0.06, which was, shockingly, the team high. | 5 |
(MID) Casemiro | 90 | Played with fire, as usual. But he did have his moments in the middle to thwart PSG's attack. Made the biggest impact defensively, but he'll miss the second leg due to suspension. | 7 |
(MID) Luka Modric | 82 | Similar to Kroos in that his passing was largely accurate but not at all threatening. A strange match where he never really got to get forward with time. | 5 |
(FWD) Vinicius Jr. | 82 | Just 33 touches and no shots. The service wasn't there because the team didn't have the ball at all. Frustrating. | 4 |
(FWD) Karim Benzema | 87 | Zero shots, but he was always trying to make something happen. Dealt well with PSG's pressure but didn't have many places to go with the ball. | 5 |
(FWD) Marcos Asensio | 72 | Over an hour of absolutely nothing. No shots, no chances created, nothing. The only thing he did was play Messi into a handball. | 3 |
| Substitutes | Replaced | How did they do? | Rating |
Lucas Vazquez | Carvajal (72') | Was brought on to help the defense ... and instead he let Mbappe pass him by like nothing for the goal. He didn't understand the assignment. | 2 |
Rodrygo | Asensio (72)' | In 18 minutes, he at least got a shot off. Same can't be said for the starting attackers. He was decent in his few touches. | 5 |
Eden Hazard | Vinicius Jr. (82') | Played just under 10 minutes and touched the ball 10 times, but he never got to try anything in attack. | N/A |
| Fede Valverde | Modric (82') | The Charrua deserved more minutes than this. Fresh legs in the midfield that tried to help stop Mbappe, but he just couldn't get there. | 5 |
| Gareth Bale | Benzema (87') | Touched the ball twice. Had 87 minutes on the bench to think about golf. | N/A |
| Manager | Subs used | How did the manager do? | Rating |
Carlo Ancelotti | 5 | A historically bad attacking performance. Waited well over an hour to make any changes, which made absolutely no sense. Now he must deal with Casemiro's absence and figure out how to neutralize Kylian Mbappe. Hint: It isn't with Carvajal, Vazquez or them combined. Chendo ain't walking through that door, Carlito. | 1 |
Date: Tuesday, Feb. 15 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
Location: Parc des Princes -- Paris, France
TV: CBS | Live stream: Paramount+
Odds: PSG +100; Draw +260; Real +260 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
It's Kylian Mbappe! The hero of the night, the striker scores in added time to give his team the win. Now just a draw in the second leg will see the Parisians through to the quarterfinals. A deserved result as Real did absolutely nothing in attack, recording an xG of just 0.14.
Mbappe makes it 1-0 PSG. Deserved overall and what timing. Cometh the hour, cometh the prodigy.
PSG will feel that they really should have at least scored once tonight and to still be goalless into the final 10 minutes is pretty damning. A 0-0 draw is not the worst result in the world, but the hosts really should lead.
That was Messi's seventh penalty all time against Real Madrid. The others, of course, came as a member of Barcelona. He made all of the others ... This was his first miss from the spot against Los Blancos.
It's still 0-0! Messi goes down to the bottom right, and Courtois guesses it perfectly, pushing the penalty wide.
Mbappe is taken down in the box by Carvajal, and it's an easy call! Mbappe got down to the endline with a fine touch, and the fullback had no chance at getting that ball. Almost unfair.
That is a massive save from the Belgian to deny Mbappe. The hosts really should be ahead by now. Will PSG be made to regret that and some of their other chances?
The second half has started in Paris! Who will make the breakthrough? Despite away goals no longer counting, Ancelotti might not be too unhappy if it remains 0-0.
That will have felt very encouraging for the hosts who now need to make this count. Mbappe and Mendes have been very good so far and that left side looks dangerous each time the home side come forward. How long until we see Neymar?
They aren't seeing the ball, they aren't creating chances, but they are defending well. A strange half where Los Blancos were not allowed to create anything going forward. All to play for in the second half. Carvajal is having a rough time, and PSG's pressure is giving them problems. Feels like a match where Fede Valverde could make a difference as a sub.
Heading towards the break and it remains goalless. PSG's momentum has disappeared a little and Real are coming back into it. Still goalless, though, while Casemiro has picked up a booking which rules him out of the return leg.
Somebody pour the Real man a stiff drink at half-time because he is being run *ragged* by Mbappe and Mendes so far. PSG have definitely identified him as the easiest route to goal so far.
It hasn't been great from PSG, but they are seeing a lot of the ball and looking patient, waiting for space to open up through runs. Messi is sitting quite deep to try and get things going, but Real are holding their defensive shape well.
The hosts have started brighter so far with a few corners and that excellent early Di Maria opening. Mbappe is certainly a man on a mission this evening. Messi getting involved too as he adjusts to playing against Real in a totally different context.
That's 61.2 % possession for the hosts and the only shot of the game. They are controlling the pace well, getting it to the wings and finding Mbappe down the left. A promising start.
That was almost the opener at the Parc des Princes! Mbappe's elusiveness and technical ability turns Carvajal inside out, as the Frenchman gets towards the endline and delivers a ball with pace into the box. On the other end was Angel di Maria, but he got under it, sending it way over the goal. A first real chance.
Incredible stuff at Parc des Princes. Impossible not to be motivated as hosts PSG and intimidated as visitors Real. European nights in Paris are always special.
Here we go! Live on CBS and Paramount+, it's the UEFA Champions League! Real are wearing their classic white adidas kits, while PSG have their Jordan home kits.
Fit or not, the reception will be hot for the ex-Lyon man. Now back in the French national team too, he will be key to Real's chances and Marquinhos as well as Kimpembe will have their hands full watching him.
Interesting 2/3 of this PSG midfield given that Paredes and Pereira have been given the nod. One is workmanlike and the other can be a loose cannon if not fully focused. Pochettino will need to manage with care if the midfield needs an injection of creativity and some drive.
Eight of our experts have made their picks for this match, and here is how they break down:
PSG to win: 4
Draw: 3
Real to win: 1
Half of us, included yours truly, like PSG to get the first-leg victory in this one. Our newest member of the writing team, Chuck Booth, went with the bold 2-1 win for Real Madrid on the road. We'll know in just a few ours who was right ... or if we were both wrong.
PSG's XI is now in and it is an interesting setup. No Neymar as was speculated -- he starts on the bench ad probably for the better given his lack of action lately. The final 15-20 minutes could be very interesting if the Brazilian gets thrown on as expected. Donnarumma preferred to Navas and emotional reunions for Di Maria and Hakimi against their former employers.
Marquinhos.
The Brazilian often reserves his world-class best form for these UCL nights and they do not come much bigger than this. Real have plenty of potential match winners too with Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior both traveling, but the Parisien captain has the potential to silence both and strong performance from the Brazilian would go a long way towards helping to secure a good opening result for the hosts.
Kylian Mbappe
If there was a game written for Mbappe to star home and away, it is this one. The French superstar will be the pre, mid and post-match focus around both legs and the chances of him taking center stage in at least one of these two showdown clashes are high.
Marco Verratti vs. Luka Modric.
The two remain increasingly important to their respective sides despite the Italian maestro's fragility and the Croat master's 36 years of age. Assuming both are fully fit and involved from the off, the battle between the two midfielders as part of a larger bid for supremacy in the middle of the park promises to be unmissable. Verratti warmed up for Modri by facing his compatriot Lovro Majer in the narrow win over Stade Rennais and it was absorbing to watch. PSG's tactical plan is unlikely to involve passing Real to death so the Azzurri star will be key as ever to Mauricio Pochettino's plans and the hosts' overall hopes of progression.
It's Messi, de Maria and Mbappe in attack for the hosts. Neymar is on the bench and could see his first action since November 28.
Karim Benzema makes the team, and he gets the start at striker. He's joined in attack by Asensio and Vinicius Jr. No surprises in this XI for Carlo Ancelotti. Off the bench he's got Hazard, Valverde, Camavinga and Rodrygo available, to name some.
