February 15, (THEWILL) – PSG dominated the first leg of their Champions League last 16 encounter against Real Madrid, but it took a 94th-minute goal from Kylian Mbappe to secure a 1-0 victory.
Angel Di Maria had the first chance after being beautifully picked out by a low cross from Mbappe, but he was unable to keep his effort beneath the bar when he could have done better.
Thibaut Courtois stopped Mbappe’s subsequent effort, with the French side controlling the majority of possession and preventing Real from getting anything going in the early stages.
Up until the penultimate kick of the first half, when Casemiro’s header went harmlessly wide, the visitors had not had a single shot at the goal of the hosts. It was all PSG, but Real did a good job of defending and only allowed them one shot on target in the first 45 minutes as well.
Mbappe also got the opening chance of the second half. The PSG man was given an angle to shoot after some great work in the area, but his powerful effort was brilliantly repelled by the excellent Courtois.
Mbappe’s continuous pressure eventually paid off for the home side, as he was given a penalty on the hour mark after a clumsy challenge from Dani Carvajal. Lionel Messi stepped up to take the kick, but Courtois was able to save it.
The match’s flow remained unchanged after that, and Neymar’s introduction, his first appearance since recovering from an injury, simply served to strengthen PSG’s lead. They made several strong attempts but were unable to get past the impenetrable Courtois.
Real had a chance late on to do something exciting, pushing forward more than they had all night, but that exposed them at the back, and Mbappe ultimately broke through with the game’s final kick, slotting past Courtois to give PSG the win they deserved to take into the return leg in Spain.
Before that match, PSG will play Nantes on the road in their next game, a Ligue 1 fixture, on Saturday. On the same day, Real Madrid hosts Alaves in their next La Liga match at home.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
