Real Madrid will be looking to join Paris Saint-Germain in the knockout stages of the Champions League when the two teams meet at the Bernabeu on Tuesday night.
PSG have already secured their passage into the last 16 and would claim first spot in Group A with a point in Madrid, while a home victory guarantees Los Blancos a spot in the next round.
Real Madrid
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Madrid's 2019-20 Champions League campaign did not exactly get off to the most ideal of starts when they lost 3-0 at PSG in their opener before drawing 2-2 at home to Club Brugge.
Back-to-back wins over Galatasaray have moved Zinedine Zidane's side onto seven points, though, and they are in a very strong position to advance to the last-16 stage of the competition.
Indeed, whilst the capital giants are five points behind PSG, they are five clear of third-placed Brugge. A win on Tuesday night ensures that Zidane's team will be in the next round, but a defeat would also see them advance providing that Galatasaray take points off Brugge in the group's other fixture.
A Brugge win and Madrid defeat would make things very interesting, though, considering that the two teams will lock horns in Belgium next month. The last thing that the Spanish side need is to enter their final fixture with a spot in the next round of the competition not yet secure.
Los Blancos will head into Tuesday's match off the back of a 3-1 win over Real Sociedad in La Liga on Saturday night, which has left them level on points with Barcelona at the top of the table.
Gareth Bale was booed upon entering the field during the league fixture, and it will be fascinating to see whether the Wales international is included in Tuesday's game given its importance.
Last season was actually the first time since 2009-10 that Madrid had failed to reach the semi-finals or better; they have qualified for the knockout stage of the Champions League in each of their previous 23 participations, though, which is a competition record.
Madrid were also triumphant on the last occasion that they welcomed PSG to the Bernabeu in the Champions League, recording a 3-1 victory in the last-16 stage of the 2017-18 campaign.
Recent form: LDWW
Recent form (all competitions): WWDWWW
Paris Saint-Germain
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PSG have a perfect record from their four Champions League matches this season, posting four straight victories against Madrid, Galatasaray and Brugge to top the section with 12 points.
As mentioned, Thomas Tuchel's side have already booked their spot in the round of 16, while a point at the Bernabeu would see them advance as group winners. That said, even if they were to lose on Tuesday night then a win over Galatasaray next month would see them top the section.
This is actually the eighth successive season that PSG have been present in the group stages of the Champions League, but they have not reached the semi-finals since 1995. The French side have been knocked out in the round of 16 in the last three campaigns, meanwhile, which is not good enough for a side of their ilk.
It remains to be seen whether the capital giants should be regarded as serious challengers for the trophy this season, but they have now won eight of their last 10 Champions League matches and have scored in 28 consecutive games in the competition.
Like Madrid, PSG will also enter this match off the back of a domestic win having recorded a 2-0 victory over Lille on Friday night. Tuchel's side have lost three league games this season but are still nine points clear at the top of the table with a plus 22 goal difference.
It would be a huge shock if the club failed to win another league title, but the Champions League is the trophy that the owners really want to win. The likes of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe were signed with the view to delivering European glory, but the Ligue 1 side are still waiting to triumph.
PSG have only won two of their last 10 matches against Spanish opposition, while they have lost each of their last five away matches in Spain, which will not fill their fans with too much confidence ahead of the game.
Madrid are not the side that they were when the two teams last clashed at the Bernabeu in February 2018, though, and the visitors will certainly be confident of picking up a positive result on Tuesday night.
Recent form: WWWW
Recent form (all competitions): WWLWWW
Team News
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Zidane has no fresh injury concerns from the clash with Sociedad on Saturday night, but the Frenchman has not been able to recover any of the four players on the sidelines.
Indeed, Marco Asensio, Nacho and James Rodriguez are all still out with knee injuries, while a fractured toe will see Lucas Vazquez miss out on a spot in the selection once again.
There are not expected to be too many changes from the side that faced Sociedad, although Toni Kroos is pushing for a return in the middle of the park at the expense of Federico Valverde.
Rodrygo Goes could again keep out the likes of Vinicius Junior and Bale to feature alongside Eden Hazard and Karim Benzema in attack, although Isco is another option for Zidane.
As for PSG, the French side could welcome back key midfielder Marco Verratti, who is reportedly winning his battle to overcome a knee injury in time for the European affair.
Neither Thilo Kehrer or Ander Herrera are expected to recover from injuries, but Mbappe and Neymar should both feature having missed the clash with Madrid earlier this season through injury and suspension.
The club's all-time leading scorer Edinson Cavani is now fit and available after overcoming his fitness problems, but Angel Di Maria could be selected in the final third alongside Mbappe and Neymar, with Marquinhos and Idrissa Gueye joining Verratti in the middle of the park.
Real Madrid possible starting lineup:
Courtois; Carvajal, Varane, Ramos, Mendy; Kroos, Casemiro, Modric; Hazard, Benzema, Rodrygo
Paris Saint-Germain possible starting lineup:
Navas; Meunier, Thiago Silva, Kimpembe, Bernat; Verratti, Marquinhos, Gueye; Neymar, Mbappe, Di Maria
Head To Head
As mentioned, PSG recorded a 3-0 win in the reverse match earlier this season, but Madrid won both of the fixtures between the two sides during the last-16 stage of the 2017-18 competition.
Madrid also beat PSG at home in the group stages of the 2015-16 competition, meaning that the French side have not triumphed away to the Spanish outfit since the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1994. Overall, Los Blancos lead the head-to-head record four victories to PSG's three.
We say: Real Madrid 1-1 Paris Saint-Germain
Both teams will feel that they can harm the opposition in the final third of the field, and it should be a fascinating match in the Spanish capital. A point would suit both sides, though, and we are finding it difficult to separate them when taking everything into account.
Matt Law
