Di María PSG brace ensures Real Madrid opening day blues
PSG vs Real Madrid: how it happened
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In the end, PSG ran out comfortable winners in this opening group game, and deserved the victory over the piece. Madrid may count themselves a little unlucky on some occasions but they were lacking in quality across the pitch, individually at times, but moreso collectively. Things may have been different had Bale or Benzema's disallowed goals stood, but neither can be used as an excuse for the result.
Zidane will have some difficult questions to answer, especially as the Parisien team that turns up for the reverse group game is likely to contain Mbappé, Neymar and Cavani.
The whistle blows. It's all over.
The resultant free-kick is laid off to the edge of the area but it's not accurate from Kroos and the eventual shot from Vázquez causes no problem.
Three minutes of injury time almost up and Bernat goes into the book for a nasty tackle
Another sloppy pass from Kroos is intercepted and PSG break. Meunier and Bernat play a neat one-two with the Belgian being left with a relatively easy tap home. Game well and truly over.
Varane booked for silly challenge.
Sarabia has contributed well to his team's cause and is warmly applauded off. Abdou Diallo comes on.
Madrid get players forward, three taking up good positions in the PSG area, but a dreadful cross from Kroos is cleared with ease. Lucas Vázquez appears to take out his frustration at that by going through Verratti. Foul
Ping! Choupo-Moting latches onto a loose ball sticks his laces threw it. Courtois is pleased to see the ball fly over.
The flow of the game has gone, which will suit the home side. A few fouls in quick succession preventing anyone from creating.
Vinicius' first action is to go into the book after a scuffle with Di Maria (who also sees yellow)
Bale off. Vinicius on.
CLOSE! Benzema involved again, rising high and heading just wide of the far post. Time running out if Madrid are going to get anything from this.
...Goal disallowed. Vázquez was definitely offside as the ball was played across but as he got himself out of the way, and Benzema swept home. Viewers scrambling for the rule book on interfering.
Madrid have the ball in the back of the net, but the flag is up. VAR having a look...
PSG, at times, are finding this very easy. The spaces available for the French champions to run into are generous, and Madrid's midfield are often not busting a gut to track back a lost ball. Zidane with questions to answer.
Bernat tries to get the better of Carvajal and manages to win a corner. The delivery is good but Varane gets a clearing head to it.
Marquinhos is coming off for PSG after picking up a knock. Herrera on
Lucas Vázquez replaces Hazard; Jovic comes on for James.
Substitutions coming up, and that Hazard fail may be his last.
Good play from Hazard allows him to break free down the left. He chooses to play square to James around 30 metres out instead of feeding the sprinting Benzema ahead, and then gets the ball back. Just as you expect him to skin the last man and create a shooting chance, he appears slow, and is easily dispossessed.
That period of Madrid pressure fizzled out rather quicker than Zidane would have hoped.
Another chance for the hosts to extend their lead. Di Maria seems to have recovered and skipped into the area before rolling the ball across the penalty spot. Sarabia meets it and grazes the wrong side of the near post.
Icardi goes off to a round of applause and he is replaced by Ney..., Cava..., Mba..., erm, Maxim Choupo-Moting
Chance! Chance! Two for PSG in quick succession. Bernat thwarted by Courtois and then the better one for Di Maria. A lob over the keeper to collect his hat-trick...too high!
Los Blancos keep possession for a minute or so, waiting for their opening. Toni Kroos then gets impatient and goes long to Benzema. It's over the striker and safely into Keylor's hands.
Ouchie! Di Maria is down after being caught in the middle of the park by a lunging Mendy. There didn't appeatr to be any malice but the Argentine needs some treatment on the side of the pitch. He'll want to get back and get the match ball.
Madrid starting to impose themselves more as they look to get back into this. Hazard trying to get on the ball more, Benzema and co aiming to link with him.
Hazard picks up the ball on his usual left, then cuts in and feeds Kroos. The German feigns a right-footed drive, throwing three blocking defenders one way, then tries his luck with his left. Blocked well.
Mendy and Kroos almost gift Di Maria with a chance as they clumsily play passes on the edge of their own area. Both sides now pressing high.
A high press from the Spanish side pays dividends, forcing PSG to concede a throw in their own third. That's followed by some quick feet keeping the passes going between Mendy; James and Hazard, but they eventually lose out and PSG head forward.
Just as it looked as though the hosts had been told by Tuchel to calm things down, a precise pass out of defence sends Sarabia and Icardi away into the right channel. Madrid do well to close off the danger.
Madrid start us off but PSG are quick to win the ball back and move it across the pitch a couple of times.
We're off!
OK. The teams are heading out of the tunnel and we're about to get going again.
Much was made of the visiting frontline of Bale, Benzema and Hazard. It's fair to say that they have had their moments, with mention too to James in a supporting role, but Zidane will hope to get them on the ball more in the second half.
Di Maria took his chances well for the goals, and made sure he celebrated them like a spurned lover. The player that effectively came into the Santiago Bernabéu to replace him almost responded himself, but as yet has not been as effective (but hey, they would say, he was more marketable!)
The Parc de Princes crowd, and the viewing millions, have had plenty of action to keep them occupied. Neither team has sat back - whether by design or conscious ability - which has meant that chances feel like they're never far away...
HALF-TIME | PSG 2-0 REAL MADRID
That's it. Anthony Taylor sends everyone for their oranges.
Close! Madrid's Welsh winger has carried the greatest threat for his side and links up nicely with James, allowing a smart hit from just outside the PSG area. It flies low and just wide of the near post.
We're looking at two minutes of added time as Madrid put on some pressure.
Di Maria decides a hat-trick would be nice and skips away from two challenges before finally losing possession to a neat tackle. Madrid's immediate break is halted with a Verratti foul.
The home side are not sitting on their two-goal lead, happy to play around the chasing blue shirts as they look for an opening.
Excellent build up from PSG - Di Maria, Verratti, Icardi and Sarabia particularly involved - has the Madrid backline looking rather exposed. A chance is almost fashioned for the latter of that quartet but it's cleared for a corner. Nothing comes of it.
Close! Bale is certainly getting himself involved. A mistake allows a distant snap shot from the Welshman as Navas is out of position. Just over.
VAR SAYS NO! Bale controlled the ball with his arm before shooting so Taylor has no choice but to rule it out.
Gooooaaaaaaallll!!!!! Bale has Madrid back in it. Oh wait, VAR having a look...
In loads of space on the edge of the Madrid area, the forward controls and hits a peach of a shot. Courtois' dive never getting close.
PSG break and Carvajal ends up in the book for a clear foul.
CLOSE! Bale does indeed hit the dead ball whipping it just over the right side of the bar. Nice effort.
Ouch! Bale tries to step away from the covering white shirts to get a shot away but Gueye stops him with a cynical challenge. Free-kick with the Welshman likely to take...
A passage of controlled possession from the hosts ends with an incisive ball into the feet of Icardi on the edge of the area with his back to goal. He almost turns Varane but the Frenchman, along with Carvajal, clears the danger.
Chance | Militao throws himself in a rather crowded penalty area, blocking the drive from Sarabia.
Question marks again on Madrid's number one. A long ball over the top was crying out for the Belgian to come out and deal with but instead he backtracked and Mendy did well to shield the danger out of play under pressure.
The game quickly swings down the other end. A deep cross reaches Benzema but the striker can't get a full purchase on the header. I'm predicting more goals before half-time.
Courtois causes problems for his team by not punching a Meunier cross cleanly. His defenders clear up the mess.
Chance | Nice play again from Madrid ends with Benzema laying off to his Colombian support act. He's unable to wrap his left foot around it and he watches the ball sail high over the bar as he falls to the ground.
Sarabia involved as the game suggests some end-to-end fun. The former Sevilla man can't find a teammate in the middle and the visitors take the ball away.
Chance | Los Blancos look to hit back immediately. Hazard doing what we've seen him do so often in the past, cutting across the penalty box and drilling an effort goalwards. Just wide.
A break down the left and a gentle pass across the area allows the Argentine to poke home at the near post. The shot may have surprised Courtois (it shouldn't have) but the ball was so close to the keeper that I can only imagine he closed his eyes.
Meunier taking his manager's 'aggressive' stance there, crunching into Hazard as the Belgian looks to skip away. Free-kick is then delivered by James but cleared away well just as Benzema looked to pounce..
James showing a bit of class there. Takes the ball on the right from Bale, switches feet and delivers a pin-point pass to the left. A swarm of white shirts end any thoughts of attack.
Bale is set scampering down the right channel and has lots of time to pick out a teammate in the middle. His cross is hard and low, but far to close to Keylor in goal and the former Madrid stopper gathers.
Di Maria will be trying to show his previous employers that he can still do a job at the top level and a ball from Bernat almost allows the Argentine a break. Defended well.
Madrid (in navy blue tonight to contrast with PSG's all white) develop play through the middle of the park, Benzema coming deep to support. Nothing comes and the pace drops.
It's another chance for the hosts but a brilliant defensive foot in from Kroos prevents a shot from being taken inside the area.
Inside the first minute and PSG are screaming for a penalty. A sharp switch of play to the right then allows a shot to be fired in from Sarabia. It clips a Varane arm but there was no suggestion of it being deliberate.
Taylor blows his whistle and we're underway.
Friendly handshakes complete and we're into position
We are a just a few minutes away from kick-off. The teams are heading out of the tunnel, the faces look focused
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Despite not faring too well in last season's Champions League (well, it was nice of them to let someone else win!) Madrid are on a run of three consecutive away wins in the competition.
Both these sides come into the game on the back of domestic wins. PSG were far from impressive against Strasbourg but a late golazo from Mr Popular gave them three points. Los Blancos gave the perfect example of how to deliver a game of two halves, dominating the first, and then holding on to their 3-2 scoreline.
Englishman Anthony Taylor is the man in the middle for this game, and he will be (hopefully) ably assisted by a team of compatriots.
Of course, it's not only the attacking trident that is missing for the home side. Drexler, Dagba and Kehrer were also ruled out with injuries.
As for Madrid, they refuse to be outdone. Asensio, Modric, Isco, Marcelo, Valverde and Brahim are all recovering while Ramos and Nacho are suspended.
Icardi, along with two players who know the Spanish league quite well, will be testing another of Zidane's summer recruits. Éder Militão may only be 21 years of age but moved from Porto for 50 million euros, a club record for a defender. Without captain Ramos, questions are going to be asked early doors. Madrid fans will hope there is no more fainting!
Well, the starting XIs haven't thrown up any real surprises. Mauro Icardi was the last-gasp signing for PSG and he has been getting accustomed to his teammates in Ligue 1. Can he make an impression tonight?
Real Madrid XI: Courtois; Carvajal, Varane, Militão, Mendy; Kroos, Casemiro, James; Bale, Benzema, Hazard
PSG XI: Keylor Navas; Meunier, Thiago Silva, Kimpembe, Bernat; Verratti, Marquinhos, Gueye; Di María, Icardi, Sarabia
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