Real Madrid vs. PSG: 3 tactical changes Ancelotti must make to overturn the tie
3. Play at a high tempo
Anyone witnessing the Champions League Round of 16 encounter at the Parc des Princes on 15th of February would have found it hard to believe that the team playing in White are 13 times European Champions and the current LaLiga leaders. Real Madrid players failed to get out of their own halves.
Real Madrid played the first match with little intensity. Even when they tried to break the shackles, PSG was active enough to thwart any attempt of resilience. Yes, Karim Benzema was not at 100%, yet there was little attempt to play the ball. Real Madrid kept waiting for a counter-attack opportunity but it never arose.
Carlo Ancelotti is aware that this team cannot press the opposition since most of the protagonists are well into their 30s. Therefore after suffering a couple of defeats he shifted to a counter-attacking form of football which yielded exceptional results and catapulted them to the top of LaLiga. However, PSG is much stronger than the opposition they face in the league. They simply cannot sit back and invite pressure. Real Madrid will have to go for it in the second leg.
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Fortunately or unfortunately, the late goal scored by Mbappe means that they have no choice but to try and score early in the game. Valverde and/or Camavinga’s presence in the starting lineup will help in maintaining the intensity. The key is to pressurize the PSG team in the first 20 minutes of the game. Try to win the ball back high up the pitch, put in some tackles, and rattle them up. Real Madrid simply cannot allow PSG to dictate terms at the Bernabeu. They have to bring the crowd into the game and rely on the collective spirit of Madridismo.