SMASHED UP
Paris megastars made to look bang average as rampant Ronaldo shatters goal mark
REAL MADRID .... 3 PSG .... 1
CRISTIANO RONALDO won his battle of the superstars with Neymar as he took his Real Madrid Champions’ League goal tally to 101.
The Portuguese striker grabbed a double to dig the Spanish giants out of a massive hole in a breathless game after they conceded first when Adrien Rabiot netted for PSG.
Ronaldo pulled Real level with a first-half penalty to become the first player to reach three figures in the Champions’ League for the same club – in just 95 games.
Then he put his side ahead in the 83rd minute, kneeing home from six yards, in another sensational, individual big-game performance.
Marcelo put Madrid firmly in charge of the tie with a third goal in the 87th minute, a goal which delighted his skipper Sergio Ramos.
The Real defender said: “This is a very important victory. These Champions League games are nights you want to remember and we showed exactly how you need to play.
“We showed personality and proved that despite all the speculation about us you can never presume that Real Madrid are dead.”
In the Ronaldo-Neymar battle, the Brazilian, booked for a first-half foul, should have been shown a second yellow for diving on the hour.
It was first blood to PSG when Rabiot netted in 33 minutes. Kylian Mbappe created it, flipping the ball past Marcelo and firing in a cross which Edinson Cavani dummied and Neymar flicked into space for Rabiot to fire home right-footed.
It was end-to-end mayhem in the first half and Madrid went in level. Toni Kroos drew a foul from Giovani Lo Celso, who tugged his shoulder.
Ronaldo in the 895th match of his senior career, became the first player to reach 10 goals in the Champions’ League this season, with a no-nonsense low spot kick. That was despite his standing leg causing the ball to pop up off the turf just as he struck it.
Ronaldo has scored double figures in seven consecutive Champions League campaigns, and 116 in his career.
The game was chaotic with quality on the ball but some diving and erratic defending.
PSG have the French league sewn up but this level is their real test and inexperience let the game slip away in the last seven minutes.
They visited the Bernabeu on a six-game winning streak, with 33 victories in 38 games this season. They also netted a record 24 goals in their group.
Could Madrid cope with Cavani, Neymar and Mbappe who started the night with 70 goals between them? They had plenty of work to do at the back in a fabulous game.
Real were on fire at the start and finish. Kroos demanded a penalty in just 75 seconds under a challenge from Yuri Berchiche.
The German then went close with a shot but with Neymar looking elusive, Berchiche had PSG’s first shot. Ronaldo had a chance but his shot hit keeper Alphonse Areola in the face.
Breathless and brilliant in the first 45, only a desperate lunge from Sergio Ramos kept a Cavani shot on the swivel out.
But Real were soon back on it. Karim Benzema had Areola at full stretch from outside the box, then won their penalty.
After the break Mbappe was denied by Navas. And Rabiot by Ramos’s chest – but it was Ronaldo’s night.
PSG midfielder Marco Verratti said: “We’ve had teams come back against us in the past, so we can do it ourselves. We’re disappointed, but there’s still another game to come.
“I think 1-1 was fair for the first half however after the break I think we deserved to win but we lost 3-1. We still have a good chance and we need to be confident at home.”