The 2021-2022 UEFA Champions League campaign will resume with one of the biggest fixtures in the campaign, PSG vs Real Madrid. The UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg match is scheduled to kick off at 21:00 on Tuesday, February 15, 2022.
Ordinarily, a fixture like PSG vs Real Madrid is worthy to be a UEFA Champions League final due to the caliber of players that will be on display and the pedigree of the two clubs.
PSG – Paris Saint Germain has won the French league 9 times, the Coupe de France a record 14 times, Coupe de la Ligue a record 9 times, and Trophée des Champions a record 10 times.
Despite all these successes in France, the heavily funded 51 years old club is yet to win the prestigious UEFA Champions League. Hence, the club has been making heavy investments in players and coaches to actualize the dream of winning the title.
Despite all the efforts, the closest the club has gotten to winning the title was the final during the 2019-2020 season. Unfortunately for them, they met a fierce Bayern Munich side that halted their dream of winning the title.
Ahead of 2021-2022, PSG decided to bring in renowned footballers like Lionel Messi, Sergio Ramos, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Georginio Wijnaldum, Nuno Mendes, and Achraf Hakimi to boost the club’s chances of winning the title.
The arrival of the players has increased coach Mauricio Pochettino’s options in almost all departments which have been working perfectly in French Ligue 1 so far.
Pochettino and his boys have been enjoying a relatively fine form in the UEFA Champions League. Unfortunately for them, they were paired to play against Real Madrid, the most successful club in the UEFA Champions League campaign.
🇫🇷 Paris, we're here!@PalladiumHG | #MVPalladium | #UCL pic.twitter.com/4NGpxuudhQ
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) February 14, 2022
PSG vs Real Madrid: their present form
Ahead of the PSG vs Real Madrid game which has been scheduled to take place at Parc Des Princes, the current form of the two clubs in their separate leagues has been phenomenal. They are both topping the table of their domestic league which means we are in for a big show on Tuesday night.
It might interest you to note that the last time Real Madrid lost a game in Spanish La Liga was on January 2, 2022. On the said date, Getafe stunned Real Madrid with a 1-0 win. They however recorded a defeat in the Copa del Rey on February 3, 2022. Athletico Club stunned the Spanish giants with a 1-0 defeat.
Between January to date, Real Madrid have recorded over five victories in all competitions which means that as much as they can be beaten, they can also win games with ease.
As for PSG, they are yet to lose a football match in regular time this year. However, they have suffered a 5-6 defeat via penalties in the French Cup round of 16 game against Nice on January 31, 2022.
Between January to date, PSG have recorded five victories in all competitions which means that we should be expecting a very balanced PSG vs Real Madrid game on Tuesday night.
✈️ The president headed the travelling party to Paris. #RealMadrid | #UCL pic.twitter.com/Yz17Kws3Xy
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) February 14, 2022
PSG vs Real Madrid probable line-ups
PSG’s predicted line-up:
Gianluigi Donnarumma; Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, Presnel Kimpembe, Nuno Mendes; Marco Verratti, Idrissa Gueye, Georginio Wijnaldum; Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Angel Di Maria.
Real Madrid’s predicted line-up:
Thibaut Courtois; Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, Nacho Fernandez, David Alaba; Luka Modric, Casemiro, Toni Kroos; Marco Asensio, Gareth Bale, Vinicius.
Futballnews prediction:
Though Karim Benzema has started training ahead of the PSG vs Real Madrid UEFA Champions League fixture, he might not start in the game. Hence, his absence might make it difficult for Real Madrid to score against star-studded PSG. But he will surely play a part at some point in the game.
On the other hand, PSG have a very fit squad but Neymar might not start because he is not 100 percent fit for the game according to reports. However, he might be introduced from the bench.
The absence of Neymar might not affect the outcome of the game but that of Benzema in the starting lineup might affect Real Madrid a lot. But notwithstanding, the two sides are expected to score in the game.
Final scoreline: PSG 1 vs Real Madrid 1
Where to watch PSG vs Real Madrid
If you can not make it to Parc des Princes for the PSG vs Real Madrid UEFA Champions League round of 16 match on Tuesday, you can catch the action t on paid TV.
Soccer enthusiasts in the United States of America can watch the game on FuboTV and Paramount +. While football fans in the United Kingdom can watch the game on BT Sport 3.
