Real Madrid Snubs 10-men PSG To Enter Champions League Last-8 

French giants Paris Saint Germain have yet again crashed out of the Champions League in the last-16 stage. PSG have lost 1-3 to Real in the first leg when Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice, aggregating a 2-5 defeat to the European Champions Real Madrid. PSG missed superstar Neymar, who was left out due to an injury, and Italian midfielder Marco Verratti, who was sent off with a red card in the second half.

Real Madrid started with Toni Kroos, Croatian midfielder Luka Modric and Gareth Bale on the bench. Manager Zinedine Zidane played Marco Asensio on the left flank and Lucas Vazquez on the right, with striker Karim Benzema and Ronaldo playing up top. Another Croatian Matteo Kovacic, along with Casemiro have paired up as defensive midfielders.

With PSG still searching for the two goals to advance, the first half ended without a goal scored. Eraly in the second half, Asensio passed the ball to Vazquez at right wing. Vazquez found Ronaldo with a cross deep inside the box. Ronaldo, with a sublime jump in front of the post, headed the ball past Areola, who had no chance to stop the ball whatsover.

Verratti was shown a second yellow card in the 66th minute, when he had an unnecessary dissent with the referee. He was already shown a yellow card in the first half for physical interference with Casemiro.

PSG striker Edinson Cavani scored a lucky goal late in the second half. But it was already late as Casemiro later completed Real’s last-16 efforts with a deflected goal off Marquinhos and over Areola, making it 2-1 with just 10 minutes left to play.

As PSG exit from the Champions League, their pursuit of winning their first ever Champions League will begin again next season. Real Madrid are set to clinch their first European Cup hat-trick since Bayern Munich won it way back in the 1970s.