The Champions League rarely ever disappoints, does it?
Especially when Real Madrid are involved.
Something about that music, that ball, that stage, morphs the Spaniards into a different beast.
The story of Madrid’s comeback
Yesterday, they demonstrated their defiance in Europe by staging a comeback against the new punchline of the competition, Paris Saint-Germain.
Mauricio Pochettino entered the bubbling Bernabeu with a slender 1-0 advantage, thanks to Kylian Mbappe’s last gasp strike in the reverse fixture.
Mbappe may well be playing all his home games in the Santiago next season, yet he treated it very much as an opposition ground.
He had one goal chalked off by VAR in the first half, but made sure to avoid the official’s scrutiny by scoring past Thibaut Courtois just before the break.
Any other elite team in PSG’s situation would feel home and dry by that point.
After all, Lionel Messi was still on the pitch.
However, a combination of the French side’s fragility in the tournament, plus Madrid’s rich history, meant the tie was far from settled.
Karim Benzema proved this by scoring a hattrick in the space of 17 minutes after the interval.
An error from Gianluigi Donnarumma handed Los Blancos their first, before Luka Modric’s incisive run and assist allowed Benzema to turn the contest on its head.
The Frenchman wrapped up the match ball and the victory with less than a quarter of an hour remaining.
Very poor PSG
Madrid rejoiced, whilst PSG licked the wounds of another early exit.
They once again demonstrated a soggy backbone when a rigid spine was required.
None more so from their captain, Marquinhos, who set quite the opposite of an example throughout the evening.
Marquinhos endured one of his worst days in a Parisian shirt, highlighted by the reviews he received from the French press.
L’Equipe handed him a 2/10 rating, the joint worse score dished out to any of the 22 starters along with Donnarumma.
Foot Mercato were only slightly more generous, giving the defender a 3/10 and some deserved criticism.
“The Brazilian captain, like (Presnel) Kimpembe, showed a certain fragility at times.
“Which could have cost his team dearly, like on this very dangerous backheel in the area which could have benefited (David) Alaba.
“He could have done much better on the equalizer from Benzema.
“Far from being his best match under the colors of Paris.”
Whilst Chelsea fans probably revelled in the spectacle as a whole, they must’ve watched Marquinhos performance with some relief.
Relief that they failed to sign the centre-back last summer.
According to L’Equipe, the Blues had an offer rejected by PSG for their skipper.
This move was probably backed by Thomas Tuchel, as Fabrizio Romano described Marquinhos as the German’s ‘dream’.
He had more of a nightmare on Wednesday though…
Keep up to date with all the latest Chelsea news and opinion by following The Chelsea Chronicle’s Facebook and Twitter accounts
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox
