Real Madrid will be looking to progress in the Champions League as they face Paris Saint-Germain Tuesday. Sergio Ramos sat down with the press ahead of the important match and had this to say.
Zinedine Zidane’s men traveled from Madrid to Paris Monday afternoon ahead of their match in the Champions League. Real Madrid will play the second-leg fixture against PSG in the Round of 16. Los Blancos go into the match with a 3-1 lead on aggregate and will be looking to extend that scoreline in their favor.
Madrid’s full squad made the trip to Paris, including Toni Kroos and Luka Modric, who were both questionable for this game. Neymar will surely miss the game as he went back home to Brazil to undergo surgery.
All that aside, there is still a lot of work remaining for Real Madrid in their efforts to push into the next stage of the UCL. Capitan Sergio Ramos took time to speak with the press prior to the match keying in on some important factors.
Ramos played a great match the first time these two teams met, and he will need to be at his best again for the second leg as he tries to shut down a still deadly PSG attack spearheaded by Edinson Cavani, Kylian Mbappe, and former Real Madrid winger, Angel Di María.
All quotes come via the Real Madrid official website.
Opening Statement
"“The Champions League is one of our favourite competitions. We took the first step at the Bernabéu and we’ve now got to try and finish the job off in the best possible fashion. Big players like to be involved in these big games and we have a marvellous opportunity tomorrow. We’ve come here to offer the best possible account of ourselves and we’ll give every last ounce out there.”“When there’s no margin for error it makes it like a cup final and tomorrow is one of those games. That’s the way they’re looking at it, just like in their previous knockout ties. I love football and enjoy every single day. We’re in a privileged position and I’m trying to enjoy the time that I’m in the profession to the max. I retain the same excitement as when I started out, although my trophy haul is now rather different. I never tire of winning things and try to freshen myself up and get up for every game and go for every piece of silverware.”"
Refereeing of the match
“The referee shouldn’t be the center of attention. There are two great teams and we’ll both be looking out for ourselves. We’re not expecting him to help or hinder either team and we want him to do his job as best he can. I don’t think that any referee in the world goes out to try and make mistakes on purpose.”
Ramos on the atmosphere and playing away
“Every team tries to get under the skin of the opposition in their own particular way. It doesn’t change anything for us. We continue on in the same way and with the same focus, because that’s what this game demands of us. We’ll be trying to do what we did to them back at our place. We’ve got great respect for PSG but we’ll be looking to use our strengths to hurt them and progress to the next round.”
Return of left-back Marcelo
“We’re all happy whenever a teammate returns to fitness. Marcelo’s return brings with it a joy to our play and he’s a fine player. We’re delighted that he’s back in contention. It’s always an advantage to have him available, not just in terms of our defense, but in attack too. He offers a great deal and he’s another weapon that we can call on.”
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The absence of Neymar
“Neymar is a unique player, there’s nobody else like him in the world. Whatever team he’s playing for, you always have to be on your guard. We’ve come up against his talents in recent years. It could well be Di María that comes in for him and it won’t make a bit of difference. Perhaps Di María helps out more defensively and offers a greater all-around contribution.”
“It can give you that extra bit of pressure or motivation. We focus our season on the Champions League and the margin for error is so small that we can’t afford to give anything away. We come here to give our all and intent on making sure that we’re not found wanting in terms of our application and intensity.”
Motivation to keep winning
“I’ve never become tired of winning and I try to take things day by day. We love winning and tomorrow is one of those opportunities that can take you a step closer to experiencing the sorts of moments that you want to be involved in. It’s not pressure, it’s an added motivation”.
His role in Tuesday’s match
“We don’t know just yet who’s going to play tomorrow. We each have a different role and we’re all important. We’ve got good team spirit and we perform better when we think as a unit. It’s the sort of game that I really enjoy. Let’s hope that our players can keep their goalscoring runs up tomorrow, which will be key to overcoming PSG.”
Dani Alves’ comments
“I’m not going to get into any debates. In the first leg, we got a lot of things right and some things we didn’t do well and they made the most of them. Tomorrow is another chance to prove ourselves to the world and things can end up going well or badly. The tie is currently 50-50 between two great, world-class teams.”
Next: Three things to watch for ahead of PSG vs Real Madrid
Experience in big matches
“The tactical and mental side of things are important. They are key in these types of games because the slightest thing that makes you lose your contention can see you make a mistake that gets you knocked out. We all have to be totally switched on.”