Real Madrid will face PSG at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday night, and this is their chance to solidify themselves as one of the most dangerous teams in European football.
In September, Real Madrid suffered their most humiliating loss of the season at the Parc des Princes, falling 3-0 to a PSG side that was missing Kylian Mbappe, Edinson Cavani, and Neymar.
Now that Neymar and Mbappe are back, Thomas Tuchel will have some juggling to do, but his lineup will be even more dangerous. The likes of Mbappe, Mauro Icardi, and Angel Di Maria, who tore his old club to shreds in the first match, are in excellent form.
However, Real Madrid have their reasons to be optimistic. Captain Sergio Ramos will play on Tuesday after being suspended for the first fixture. More importantly, Los Blancos look like a much better team in late November than they did early in the season when PSG blew them out. Real have outscored their last three opponents 13-1, including a dominant 6-0 performance at the Bernabeu against Galatasaray in their last Champions League fixture.
Individual players will need to shine, though, in order for Los Merengues to fulfill their potential in their most crucial Champions League battle to date. This is a litmus test, and here are the five players who must shine.
GK Thibaut Courtois
Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois looked like a candidate to be benched in October, as he was scapegoated in Real Madrid’s 2-2 draw with Club Brugge to start the month. He then missed the 4-2 win over Granada while still dealing with the effect of a stomach illness that were the reason for his half-time substitution against Brugge.
Since then, Courtois has reestablished himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the world. He had a heroic Champions League performance in Istanbul when Real first played Galatasaray, and he’s made several big saves since, including in the 3-1 win over Real Sociedad on Saturday.
Courtois looks far more confident at this stage of the season than he ever has in a Real Madrid kit, having fought past incessant media speculation and unfair criticisms from the notoriously demanding Bernabeu faithful.
The world-class keeper is in the good graces of the fans, but he’ll be called upon many times on Tuesday against PSG’s insane attacking lineup. Courtois will have to make big save after big save, as it’s clear Angel Di Maria, Kylian Mbappe, and the others will create more than one clear-cut chance in Madrid. But if Courtois is game to stop them, Real will be well on their way to picking up all three points.