MASTER OF PARIS
Ronaldo blazes a trail to send Madrid through
No keeping him quiet: Cristiano Ronaldo roars with delight after opening the scoring in Paris and ending the European ambitions of PSG
The Champions League dream went up in smoke for Paris Saint-Germain once again as Cristiano Ronaldo sent Real Madrid into the last eight at their expense.
There had been firecrackers outside Madrid’s hotel the night before the game and there were flares behind the goal throughout. The only place PSG lacked firepower was on the pitch.
And rising out of a smoke-filled goalmouth five minutes into the second half was Ronaldo — to head in Lucas Vazquez’s cross. he had flirted with a move to the Parc des Princes in the summer and here he was dominating in Paris, but still wearing the white shirt of Madrid.
PSG seized the early initiative but they were brittle at the back and Sergio Ramos nearly put Real ahead on the night only for Alphonse Areola to smother his shot from six yards out.
The home team’s attacks were anarchic and the final ball was often misplaced. Angel di Maria’s energy was at least keeping Madrid on the back foot and when Mateo Kovacic scythed him down on the right he went into referee Felix Brych’s book.
Zinedine Zidane’s decision to leave Gareth Bale on the bench again will have pushed the Welshman a little closer to the exit.
‘I have no doubts that Bale would have liked to have played more but there are lot of games to go and everyone is playing their part,’ said Zidane afterwards.
‘he will play. he’s an important player for us but (his replacement) Lucas Vazquez is playing very well and so is Marco Asensio.’
The decision was rooted in Zidane’s belief that Asensio offers more protection to Marcelo, but the left-back was exposed three minutes before half-time and PSG should have led. Kylian Mbappe went past Marcelo and edinson Cavani was waiting in the six-yard box to be served the ball for a tap-in.
But PSG showed that even without Neymar they are capable of each man playing for himself when Mbappe ignored Cavani and shot from the tightest of angles, giving Navas a straightforward save at his near post. however, the Spanish side then forced the breakthrough. Asensio made the incisive run, but had to double back when blocked. he kept his head and played in Vazquez, who crossed to the back post. As soon as Ronaldo rose to meet the ball, it was only going to end in one place.
UeFA will ask PSG why so many flares made their way into the ground. PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi will be asking a different question: who will replace Unai emery in the summer?
‘Real Madrid were better than us tonight,’ said emery, who looked lost on 65 minutes when Verratti was shown a second yellow for shouting into referee Felix Brych’s.
Cavani deserved his late goal, bizarre though it was. Ramos’s clearance hit the Uruguayan’s knee and trickled into the net.
Casemiro then shot through a crowded box after Adrien Rabiot’s clearance went straight to him. The ball clipped Marquinhos and beat Areola to complete PSG’s demise.
Madrid are through to the Champions League quarter-finals for the eighth successive season and Kovacic is bullish that Zidane’s men can go further.
‘It was a difficult game,’ he said. ‘They play nice football. But we played well.
‘They had the ball more than us but we were very aggressive.
It’s difficult to beat us when we play like that. It’s amazing how it’s changed when we play in the Champions League.
‘This club is born to play in the Champions League.’ PSG (4-3-3): Areola; Alves, Marquinhos, Thiago Silva, Berchiche; Verratti, Motta (Pastore 59), Rabiot; Di Maria (Draxler 76), Cavani, Mbappe (Diarra 85). Subs not used: Trapp, Kimpembe, Meunier, Lo Celso. Booked: Verratti, Cavani. Sent off: Verratti. REAL MADRID (4-4-2): Navas; Carvajal, Ramos, Varane, Marcelo; Lucas Vazquez, Kovacic (Kroos 71), Casemiro, Asensio (Isco 82); Benzema (Bale 76), Ronaldo. Subs not used: Nacho, Modric, Casilla, Hernandez. Booked: Kovacic, Ramos. Referee: Felix Brych (Germany). Attendance: 46,585.