The war has already started by approaching Neymar lately as a possible target for Madrid. For me it’s the game of round of 16, both teams are playing their season here, both coaches too...

Madrid : Only competition that they can compete for after Copa del Rey loss and the gap in la liga which unless a miracle will be lost too.
Zidane is playing his job here, you can end up trophiless but not with this kind of result or display. To be maintained he should get a winning streak in the league and at least a semifinal position in CL.

Unai Emery has never been totally trusted by PSG fans and journalists despite his EL results with Sevilla. He was praised vs Barca in first leg then highly criticized In La remuntada. At Paris, something is sure, you can win all domestic competitions there is only one that would looks like for owners and opinion as a real success : it’s the big ears cup. They have never reached semifinals and they would be shocked if they don’t qualify to quarters... Neymar and Mbappe were bought for CL, and so Lassana Diarra to reinforce midlefield.

A game where everyone can loose big while winner is just advancing to next round, biggest pressured game and a must WATCH.

What’s your first leg predictions ?

@Tiki Chill out, only two person talked about Ronaldo. :P

Personally, after thinking back, I really think the victory come from the fact Real Madrid have more experience playing together. PSG player seemed really uncomfortable playing with each other. Like, they didn't know where to pass the ball, who was gonna be where and even their decision making on when to keep or pass seemed poor.

Ronaldo lifted up the ball right before he shot the penalty so it was an even stronger shot like a volley, now thats something new xD
Rio Ferdinand said he used to do those things at practice but never before in a game...

@emo I was talking about highlights, people here have a little Footballing IQ, most of them at least :)

@Golazo wow that’s supernatural powers omg, the ball moved while his foot touched the grass near the ball. Goal of the season -__-‘

I mean, having so much experience with penalties it is about time he came up with something new...

I really don't know who forced some braindead messi fan to open a topic about Real Madrid games in the first place...You will have to deal with it now, even if for you Ronaldo never did anything worthy of mentioning, he has now scored 11 goals in CL and it's still just the first knockout round while Messi is not even close, also:

Since Ronaldo joined Real Madrid:
Ronaldo goals in CL: 101
Messi goals in CL: 80

Outscoring your idol easy when it matters :D

Football is not just about goals, what you will never understand...
Right now main forces at Real Madrid:
1- Modric
2- Marcelo
3- Ramos
When one or more of these 3 is underperforming Madrid is sinking and tapinaldo get outscored by Paulinho...

Messi has 97 goals in CL 0.8 goal per game while he isn’t not even a striker, best ratio ever by The way.

Ronaldo aside of goals cannot be compared to Messi, Inzaghi maybe or Lewandowski type of player... but Modric, Messi, KDB, Hazard and co cannot Ben compared by such one dimensional players... period

Hazard is better than Morata no matter if j’en gets outscored. And you should not be a genius to integrate it.

And Miroslav Klose is the greatest ever to play in the World Cup... People should really stop paying attention to only goals, and rather pay attention to what's happening on the field. It's good that Ronaldo scores the penalty and a lucky knee goal, but it's not anything extraordinary nor MOTM worthy. Especially when he didn't contribute to anything else.

And Miroslav Klose is the greatest ever to play in the World Cup...

Not sure he understood what you did here XD savage.

^That's just your opinion, fact is Kroos has created the most chances for goal in CL in the last 3 seasons in a row and he also has had above 93% pass accuracy in the last 3 CL season in a row as well, he was the one that fell down for the penalty and thus first goal for Real Madrid this last game vs PSG so he has been far more consistant compared to Modric, so you're just ranting your own pre-made bias against Ronaldo that you probably always have prepared in case someone talks about Real Madrid, pathetic.

Also without Ronaldo's goals it's a 1:1 game and PSG goes home happy, you don't value Ronaldo because you're a typical hater, you have no idea how it is when your team can't score a goal, you're talking about Hazard being better than Morata but without Morata Chelsea had a hard period and in some games there was simply no way to win without playing with a real goal scorer, basically Real Madrid without Ronaldo wouldn't have won so much and when he isn't playing well there hasn't been anyone else stepping up and putting up Ronaldo's regular numbers, he is 32 years old now and isn't as clinical as he was and even so without him Real Madrid doesn't look half as dangerous...

I can use your same rhetoric and say the same about Messi, he got lucky to play with the Golden Spanish generation, won 99% of his titles with Xavi,Iniesta,Busquets and that Spanish crew went to the World Cup 2010 and won it with no big problems while Messi at the time was the so called "best player in the World" that didn't score a single goal, in fact he still didn't score a goal at the World Cup after the group stage...
Last season couldn't do anything against Juventus defense in 2 games while Ronaldo in the final game scored a goal in both first half and second half, that wins you titles, nobody said it's all about goals but I don't see a team winning without scoring any.

You think ?

First 2 CL were won thanks to Ramos late equalizers, only okay performance of Ronaldo in a final was last year...
For consistency, league is the best way to judge since it’s 38 games result depend less on luck or draw, since 2009 Madrid won 2 leagues : one with Mourinho in 2012, the other with ZIdane last year. Ronaldo was decisive in only one of 2012.

I think if Madrid got a Drogba type player, caring for success rather than his own stats or scoring the 4th goal in a Pk in CL final and showing muscles, maybe Madrid would won more... maybe not.
But even so, if you have two eyes that works well if you see both performing, only a kid or a fanboy can get to your conclusions... have a nice day.

First 2 CL were won thanks to

Xavi and Iniesta (or Eto'o and Pedro) and that's with your own logic just like I said, without the Golden Spanish Generation, Messi wins similar as he has won with Argentina...

I think if Madrid got a Drogba type player, caring for success rather than his own stats or scoring the 4th goal in a Pk in CL final and showing muscles, maybe Madrid would won more... maybe not.

If Messi knew how to score penalties he would have actually scored against Chelsea and maybe even won a Copa America, just maybe.

A hater like you will always be easy to debunk, so much about your high football IQ.

@tiki @Golazo Can we please stop the Ronaldo debate now? I'd really rather keep this thread going about the rest of the game. Anf for those who want to insist he was part of the game so we need to address him, his pen was spot on and he was at the right place at the right time for the second goal but thats it, not worth getting a lot of praise or of critic, he did fine by his standard but I don't think it deserve a debate.

@Emo This is tiki:

Funny how someone who missed 2 easy 1 vs 1, sent several balls to space, wasted all FKs while Kroos-Ramos qualify for set pieces is more than proven.
Get PK, scores it and celebrates it like a self made goal of the year.
But the most funny of all is the fan boys reaction, most disconnected of reality I ve seen. Never saw this before.
Marcelo for me or Ascensio are unlucky to have such fanboys taking all the credit, they truly saved Madrid from sinking...

@emo I was talking about highlights, people here have a little Footballing IQ, most of them at least :)

@Golazo wow that’s supernatural powers omg, the ball moved while his foot touched the grass near the ball. Goal of the season -__-‘

Sorry but again if your whole life is based on hating a player and then you open a topic for that players game only to trashtalk sooner or later someone will start responding...

@Golazo Which is why I asked both of you to try and chat about other thing, not just you. ;)

An interesting stat: In last 2 (TWO) seasons of Champions League, CR7 has scored more KNOCKOUT ROUND goals than Messi in previous 6 (SIX) seasons. Talk about a contrasting fact, huh?

Anyway…

What a great game that was. Sure, there were interesting calls. You guys relentlessly beat on the ones that went for Real Madrid but curiously nobody mentioning that neither Neymar nor the young (pretend) CDM of PSG..Je Cen.. something? (Sorry) .. both should have been dismissed off the field long before the final whistle. One for diving, the other for a second yellow faul that forgot to bring its yellow with it.

Fantastic game though. Honestly. Some very tense moments. PSG could've taken the game but that's where the differences between these two became clear. (As much as of CR7 and Neymar, as well). One team was there caring about getting the job done, the other was there focused on stylistically how the job can be done that they couldn't do it.

I'm hoping for a draw in the second game and progress. It was nice to see nobody in the team is getting ahead of themselves, talking as if progressed. Another, even tougher game is yet to be played.

But as you or anyone can guess. I'm sufficiently happy. :)

Fanaticism creates strong ignorance and at times we need to doubt our perspectives of the players to see other sides' point of view. Otherwise we will never reach an agreement but only blind resentment.

I never rated Messi as a bad player. Amazing player. However, I prefer Ronaldo and if someone asked what skills would I want to possess as a player, I would want all the attributes of Ronaldo. All around physically, biologically and skillfully complete player.

Argument that Ronaldo isn't the biggest factor behind Real's success in the CL is very bias and has no ground of proof at all that Real could have gone being as successful in the last 6 years without Ronaldo. Football is a team sport, therefore I am not making the argument that best players are responsible for titles but I am arguing that if Juventus and Atletico had someone in their team same or even close to the caliber of Messi or Ronaldo then they would have won two the CL's each. Big players make the difference when team can't not just by performance but mere presence with sheer desire and passion to win that infects all the players around him.

This topic isn't about Ronaldo vs Messi. History will judge them not you or I.

This topic is about how PSG sht themselves once again, even after spending sht load of money, against Spanish opposition.

Oh look another Messi v Ronaldo debate in a thread were it doesn't belong.

Marcus I agree with you. PSG screwed up big time. And messi and Ronaldo will always have that impact that gets you through the line to win. That's why they are the two best players and Neymar is clearly not on that level yet. PSG can throw all the cash they want but until they have mental fortitude and some real tactics they will never top Barca nor Real. It's a shame since they have so much potential.

@Amerr Lo Celso is his name and lets be completely fair, he should have gotten another yellow if only because how poor he was. Even Diarra would have propably been better.

@Marcus @Raimondo 100% Agreed with you guys! PSG just cannot buy success and I'm starting to think its a combo of different thing that cause them to lose. First off, the board buy a bunch of superstar who doesn't actually know each other much and have hard time combining. But then even worse, the coach don't even see the need to work on teamwork because his team is still winning everything in Ligue 1 because of lack of competition and of quality with the opponent. I'll say what Tuan said, PSG need to stay humble and ask a lot more out of themselve. They need to be more critical and not think they are good enough just because they have 12 point ahead in their domestic competition.

@amerr Only goals could make a little comparison of both, when one ends up goaless and still Motm what can you say ? Maradona was scoring 1 goal each 240 min. Did he flopped 2 games out of 3. Nah he was Motm on most of them. His simple presence impacts the rival tactic, his vision and influence make his team feeling they are 13 players...

In the way I see things you may score hattrick and still have a bad game, or not scoring and have a wonder game.
A rebound, a penalty, they don’t came each game. You don’t have the sensation that the player decides the game. Take the ball, slow down goes past 4 or make a wonder pass...
I’m only impressed by things I couldn’t do with the balls, physicality is sure hard work but it’s not the part of football I appreciate.
Outscoring this or that, si in your eyes Sterling is better than KDB ? I give up the subject. Reason why I can’t stand NFL. If both were playing in the same team one would avoid trainings...

For PSG it’s not over yet, I don’t see that motivated Real and experienced give up the qualification. But PSG has the strikeforce to sink any team. Bayern and Barca while not at 100% sank there. They were close to get a draw with a horrendous collective display where individuals did bad choices. But Thiago Motta will be back, Lassana Diarra will be at 100% and then their midlefield will be balanced...
I won’t miss second leg for anything, got both Madrid and PSG friends, at the end of the day I will banter someone :p

Marcello Lippi once said this and it stuck in my head ever since:

"To this day I am not convinced of having brought together with me in Germany the technically best players that could have been. But I was firmly convinced I called the ones that could create a team, and they could play with one another to the best of their possibility. In this day and age you win if you become a team. It doesn't necessarily mean that you've got to have the best football players in the country. It's possible that the best, all together, don't become a team. It's like a mosaic, you have to put all the pieces together."

That is why famous super star galacticos with Ronaldo De Lima couldn't win CL. PSG is repeating same mistakes. I thought they had a good balance with the players until they started just throwing money around for any one. Right now, I don't think their manager can take them where they want to be in Europe. They need a man with solid experience of building European championship team because obviously domestically they can hire Gary Nevile and do just fine :))