Paris Saint-Germain took care of business in the opening leg of its UEFA Champions League round of 16 tie against Real Madrid, as it clinched a 1-0 win. The La Liga side recorded a mere three total shots in the match, as it resorted to sitting deep in its own half.
For Mbappe, Real Madrid’s conservative tactics in the match did not come as much of a surprise to him, which he touched on following the match (via L’Equipe).
“Surprised no, they are one of the best teams in the world,” Mbappe said. “They’re a smart team, they know how to adapt. Maybe they thought we were having a good day, that we had to adapt. I’m sure they won’t play like that in the return. It will be another context, another game, completely different, we will have to be ready.”
Overall, Real Madrid finished the contest with 43 percent of possession, as it failed to notch a single shot on target over the course of the fixture against the Ligue 1 side.
Much attention will certainly center on just what Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has in store for the return leg of the tie, which will come next month. Both sides currently sit at first place in their respective leagues this season.
