Paris Saint-Germain came to Real Madrid, saw the two-time defending UEFA Champions League winner and left with its tail between its legs.
Real Madrid won the marquee Champions League round of 16 first-leg matchup over PSG 3-1 on Wednesday in Spain, delivering a blow to PSG’s hopes of joining the European elite in the latter stages of this season’s competition. Cristiano Ronaldo reasserted his place on soccer’s throne by scoring two goals and outshining Neymar, a would-be competitor who endured a forgettable afternoon. The series has reached the halfway point, and PSG must raise its game to stratospheric levels March 6 in order to win the second leg by a large enough margin to advance.
Elsewhere, United States Soccer Federation voters elected Carlos Cordeiro as new president last Saturday, and he starts his tenure with plans in place to reform U.S. Soccer’s business and sporting operations.
Marc DiBenedetto and Marcus Kwesi O’Mard examine the first batch of round-of-16 games, discuss why Real Madrid vs. PSG failed to deliver the promised spectacle and examine what Cordeiro’s victory means for U.S. Soccer on this week’s episode of the “NESN Soccer Show,” which you can listen to below.
