Paris Saint-Germain can’t seem to catch a break when it comes to Champions League draws. The French giants have failed to make it out of the Quarterfinals in quite some time, largely because they have had to play teams like Chelsea, Barcelona, and Bayern Munich before they should have.
Once again, the schedule makers have put PSG in an unenviable spot, but it makes for great drama for us. They will try to avoid another early exit when they take on reigning champions Real Madrid on Valentine’s Day.
Don't miss the Champions League action from Santiago Bernabeu Stadium at 2:45 p.m. ET on Wednesday, February 14, 2018. Catch every moment of the match live on FS1.
Champions League Betting Odds at BookMaker.eu
Paris Saint-Germain +198
Real Madrid +122
Draw +279
Over/Under 3, 3.5
Odds Analysis
The bookmakers are expecting this one to be very high scoring. There is plenty of offensive firepower on both these teams, making the total of 3 and 3.5 very reachable.
You have to make Real Madrid the favorite anytime they are playing in the Bernabeu, but the fact that they are not odds-on let’s you know that oddsmakers think PSG has a great chance to pull off the upset.
Key Absences
Real Madrid won’t have defender Dani Carvajal for the first leg of its clash against PSG. Carvajal has been a first team defender for the last five years and is considered one of the best defensemen in the world. Losing him to a silly offense such as time wasting in a 6-0 victory over APOEL is a pretty harsh punishment all things considering.
Los Blancos were already without defenseman Jesus Vallejo for this one because of a thigh injury, so that means some of their reserves must step up in a big way. That ratchets up the pressure on veterans like Sergio Ramos and Marcelo.
PSG just had one of its starters return from injury, and it looks like he will be ready to go for this one. Thiago Motta had been out for a few weeks with a calf injury, but he came on as a substitute a few days ag and looked fine. He is typically one of the team’s defensive midfielders and having him available for Real Madrid is big.
Recent Form
After spending hundreds of millions of Euros to acquire Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, PSG is dominating Ligue 1 to no one’s surprise. They are 11 points up on the second-place team and finished tied with Bayern Munich during their Group Stage.
Real Madrid has not been that impressive at home this season. This club’s home struggles have already essentially doomed them in La Liga action, and they recently lost to mid table Leganes at home.
Matchup to Watch
These are two of the best attacking clubs in the world, and it will be fascinating to watch each team try to pick apart the other. Hopefully, both sides are content to play wide open soccer in order to give viewers their money’s worth.
The trio of Neymar, Mbappe, and Edinson Cavani has been a nightmare to stop. Although there was a bit of a tiff between Neymar and Cavani recently, the two have not let that effect their chemistry on the pitch and the young Mbappe has been as good as advertised.
We all know what to expect from Real, lots of Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo continues to play at a high level despite being 33, and he will definitely create chances for himself and Karim Benzema against PSG.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
It will be interesting to see whether or not Zinedine Zidane decides to field Isco for this one. Isco has had a very disappointing season all things considered, leading to many questioning whether or not Real should have loaned out James Rodriguez. Whether or not he does play, I like PSG to announce its presence with a big victory.
Champions League Odds: Paris Saint-Germain 3, Real Madrid 2
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