Real Madrid vs. PSG: Score and Reaction from 2015 Champions League

Real Madrid qualified from Group A of the UEFA Champions League after beating Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 on Tuesday at the Santiago Bernabeu. A first-half finish from substitute Nacho secured all three points and pushed Madrid into the knockout stages.   

By contrast, PSG were left to rue a host of missed chances. They were easily the better side but couldn't translate consistently creative, attacking football into goals.

Los Blancos welcomed back miserly goalkeeper Keylor Navas after he sat out La Liga action at the weekend. But manager Rafa Benitez still had to make do without injured forwards Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema. In their stead, he stuck with Isco and Jese, both scorers in Madrid's recent 3-1 win against Las Palmas.

The tournament's official Twitter feed detailed Real's starting 11:

Meanwhile, ESPN and Bleacher Report's Jonathan Johnson provided the PSG starting lineup, notable for the inclusion of skilled and powerful midfield runner Blaise Matuidi. It also included ex-Madrid star and Manchester United misfit Angel Di Maria:

An injury-enforced change on 17 minutes rattled the visitors. Dogged midfielder Marco Verratti was forced to make way for cultured schemer Adrien Rabiot.

In what proved to be very cagey early exchanges, PSG striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic wasted an inviting chance. The ultra-confident Swede curled a low shot a whisker past the post with Navas rooted to his line.

PSG had success pressing Madrid high up the field. Ibrahimovic and Matuidi led the charge, as manager Laurent Blanc's men were determined not to let the hosts settle.

GERARD JULIEN/Getty Images

Madrid needed to show more attacking intent. But playmaker Luka Modric and Co. were struggling to work through a condensed and energetic midfield.

Ronaldo and Ibrahimovic traded long-range free-kicks, with the latter bouncing his effort just beyond the post, but Navas had it covered.

The Ligue 1 side was certainly the more composed on the break. Their high press was causing Madrid problems. Full-back Serge Aurier wasted a pair of great crossing chances, but the space he had only emphasised PSG's early application and fluency.

Los Blancos then had to change Marcelo for Nacho after the Brazilian left-back suffered a knock. It was the substitute who soon made the decisive impact.

Just as the game had fallen flat, midfielder Toni Kroos hit a shot that deflected up in the air and fell in front of Nacho on the left-hand side of the area. His deft sidefoot finish was a delight even if French Football Weekly writer Jeremy Smith blamed goalkeeper Kevin Trapp for going walkabout:

OptaJean tweeted just how sudden Nacho's impact from the bench had been:

PSG's response was swift. Full-back Maxwell lofted a cross to the far edge of the box, where Rabiot used chest control to set up a left-footed volley that smacked off the post.

Two more fantastic chances followed, one of which saw both Cavani and Ibrahimovic somehow miss another teasing Maxwell cross at the back post. The tournament's official Twitter account summed up PSG's misfortune:

The first half ended in pulsating fashion as Isco drew a save from the hapless Trapp following Madrid's best move. Then a blistering counterattack saw Di Maria tee up Cavani, but his effort was scooped clear by the retreating Raphael Varane.

Johnson was critical of the Uruguayan striker:

Somehow, PSG went in at the break without a goal and trailing.

The average position of their players during the opening 45 minutes only emphasised the dominance of Blanc's team:

PSG started the second half in lively fashion, with Di Maria looking particularly threatening on his old stomping ground.

Looking to add more verve and industry going forward, Benitez introduced speedy winger Lucas Vazquez for the struggling Jese with just under half an hour to go.

Isco forced another save from Trapp, but it was still PSG producing all the quality. To that end, Blanc swapped the hard-running Matuidi for tricky Brazilian winger Lucas Moura.

But it was Madrid who crafted the next significant chance. Trapp palmed away a fierce drive from Kroos after the German had been teed up by Nacho. Benitez then sent on Croatian pass-master Mateo Kovacic for a clearly gassed Isco.

Di Maria whipped a free-kick off the bar in the final 90 seconds to sum up PSG's troubles finishing.

Francisco Seco/Associated Press

Post-Match Reaction

Blanc opted to be philosophical about his team's inability to turn territorial dominance into goals, per ESPN's Dermot Corrigan:

Blanc also refused to elaborate on a conversation between himself and Ronaldo on the pitch:

This is yet more smoke to go along with Ronaldo recently refusing to confirm his future is in Madrid, during an interview with news agency Efe (h/t Mirror reporter James Whaling). Ronaldo subsequently appeared to deny the comments, according to the Mirror's Ed Malyon.

Corrigan noted how so far Benitez has been able to avoid the subject, despite Ronaldo's poor showing against the reigning French champions:

Instead, Benitez chose to focus on the impending returns of Madrid's injured stars:

Ultimately, on a night when his whole team was below-par, Benitez wisely concentrated on the result and the quick work his players have made of navigating Group A:

Madrid will be delighted to have earned qualification despite some unconvincing performances while missing a few of their big guns. Benitez will be proud of his team's stingy defence, with Madrid yet to concede in this season's tournament.

He'll also be hoping that when forward-thinking talents such as James Rodriguez, Benzema and Bale return, Los Blancos will have enough firepower to make easier work of the tough games ahead.

As for PSG, Blanc's men still own a four-point cushion and will be favoured to make it through—probably in their next game at Malmo.  

But the failure to make their quality count against a tournament heavyweight hardly speaks volumes of their credentials to win this season's competition.