The Round of 16 first-leg between Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid at the Parc des Princes continues to inch closer. The January transfer window is open for a few more hours; all focus will transition to the UEFA Champions League.
PSG-Real Madrid is the marquee matchup for the opening round of the knockout stages as it pins to of the favorites to win the competition. Former FC Barcelona goalkeeper Andoni Zubizarreta spoke to Marca, where he provided his thoughts on the tie.
Zubizarreta states that the Ligue 1 side being able to find the defense-attack balance will be the crucial point in the matchup.
“For the French teams, the round of 16 is dangerous. In January-February, they come from playing the Cup a lot with small teams, and suddenly, the Champions League and teams like Real Madrid appear,” Zubizarreta said.
“In rooms, they already have more filming. In addition, Pochettino has not finished finding the defense-attack balance. If they all work, being a joint PSG, up top, they have so much talent that it is difficult to beat them. That’s where the game will be.
If Les Parisiens cannot find the balance that Zubizarreta is discussing, then that’s when Real Madrid seems like the favorites to come out on top over PSG.
However, should the capital club discover that link between the defense and the attack, they could have the upper hand over the Spanish club.
