Real Madrid defeated Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde believes Paris Saint-Germain still have a chance of progression despite falling to a 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu, AS reports.
In the pick of the ties in the Champions League knockout stage, Madrid hosted the runaway French leaders PSG in a game which saw Brazilian superstar Neymar make his first return to Spain since his switch from Barcelona.
Many expected an end-to-end classic, and the teams did not disappoint in a pulsating first half which saw Adrien Rabiot’s opener for PSG cancelled out by a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty.
A 1-1 draw would have suited Les Parisiens, yet Madrid made attacking changes late on in a bid to push for a winner and they were ultimately rewarded with late goals from Ronaldo and left-back Marcelo.
Speaking to reporters, Barcelona boss Valverde felt the reigning European champions had more punch about them towards the end but insisted that the tie is still all to play for in the second leg.
“I saw the game and expected there were three possible results. It was an entertaining match and Madrid had more punch in the end, but nothing is decided yet,” the former Athletic Bilbao boss told AS.
Zinedine Zidane’s side will now head to the French capital as favourites to progress, but PSG have an array of attacking talent at their disposal and are more than capable of turning the tie around.
The French side were unhappy with the officiating in Madrid as replays suggested there was an offside call leading up to Ronaldo’s penalty, while there appeared to be a foul moments before he struck his second.
Having said that, the hosts were ultimately rewarded for their attacking intentions late on and the pressure has been lifted off Zidane’s shoulders somewhat following an otherwise disappointing campaign thus far.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
