Real Madrid vs. PSG: Winners and Losers from Champions League Game
Real Madrid somehow took the points at home to Paris Saint-Germain, winning 1-0 in the Champions League group-stage game despite the French team having by far the better chances.
Nacho scored shortly after coming on as sub for the only goal of the game, beating Kevin Trapp from a narrow angle after the PSG 'keeper made an ill-judged charge from goal. The likes of Edinson Cavani, Angel Di Maria and others all went close but failed to hit the back of Keylor Navas' net.
Here are all our winners and losers from the match.
Winner: Maxwell
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PSG's left-back was one of the best players on the pitch, a constant outlet for the French side down the flank who had both movement and good delivery on the move, especially in the first half.
Isco was largely shut down by the Brazilian too, who made a few good challenges to stop Real's infrequent counters in the first half, while after the break he had to remain solid as Real turned up the heat—but it was noticeable that the Spanish side attacked far more frequently down their left, well away from Maxwell.
He was one of the most consistent players on the pitch, rarely gave the ball away and was unlucky to be on the losing side.
Loser: Cristiano Ronaldo
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Cristiano Ronaldo's performance on the night could be best summed up by leaving this page entirely blank.
The forward looked disinterested, and his approach play on the ball was half-hearted, linking infrequently with the runners around him as he struggled as the main centre-forward for Real. The No. 7 had barely any time on the ball inside the PSG penalty box and was no threat on Kevin Trapp's goal whatsoever.
Whether it's because he has been tired recently, lacks his usual fellow attackers (Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale, James Rodriguez) or simply didn't appreciate being in the centre, Ronaldo has been ineffective in general play of late and didn't contribute in the slightest during this 90 minutes.
Winner: Angel Di Maria
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Angel Di Maria was back at his old club and one of the most effective forwards on show during the 90 minutes.
The Argentine showed good technique and skill in one-on-one situations, found two or three fantastic through passes and crosses to give the other PSG attackers chances to score—especially Edinson Cavani—and put in a generally very watchable and hard-working performance.
He then almost scored an equaliser himself in the final moments of the game, only for his free kick to smash back off the crossbar.
Loser: Edinson Cavani
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Uruguayan forward Edinson Cavani saw PSG's best chances fall his way but was found utterly wanting with his end product.
A simple finish in a one-on-one situation against Keylor Navas should have yielded an equaliser, only for the striker to not make any real contact with the ball, while another headed opportunity also went begging.
Sam Tighe noted on Twitter that Cavani's missed chances replicated his previous form—and stopped any hope of PSG taking a result from the Bernabeu.
Winner: First-Half Substitutes
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Both teams were forced into first-half substitutions as Marcelo and Marco Verratti went off injured, with Nacho and Adrien Rabiot coming on—and both played a big part in their teams' performances.
Nacho, of course, scored the goal for Real and was extremely solid in his defensive work, stopping Serge Aurier's surging runs forward and keeping a nice compact shape on that side of the back four.
Rabiot, into midfield for PSG, was one of the more forward-thinking players on show, went very close with two excellent volleys in the first half and showed a good touch on the ball.
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