Real Madrid remain top of Group A after a goalless draw with Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Los Blancos made the trip to Paris without a number of key players, but had the better of the opportunities in the tight European clash.
PSG, who have only ever lost to Real Madrid once in European competition, have joined Los Blancos on seven points in the group, but they sit second due to their inferior goal difference.
Here, Sports Mole dissects the 90 minutes of action between the two teams.
Match statistics
PSG
Shots: 10
On target: 2
Possession: 58%
Corners: 4
Fouls: 13
REAL MADRID
Shots: 16
On target: 4
Possession: 42%
Corners: 9
Fouls: 10
Was the result fair?
Much was expected of PSG in this match due to their excellent start to the season and the fact that Real Madrid had travelled without a whole host of first-team players. The hosts began on the front foot, but it was not exactly a first half full of clear opportunities. Blaise Matuidi tested Real goalkeeper Keylor Navas with a long-range strike in the 11th minute, but that remained the home team's only attempt on target in the first 45 minutes. Real Madrid ended the first half on the front foot after initially struggling for possession, but Cristiano Ronaldo could not add to his tally for the season.
It was a similar story in the second half, with both teams taking their time to settle. Edinson Cavani had the first half-chance after the restart, but on a quiet night for the striker, his effort was wide of the post. Ronaldo, who was the away side's biggest threat, had possibly the outstanding chance of the match in the 74th minute, but the Portuguese missed the target from a wide angle. One look at the statistics will show that Real Madrid were the better team in the final third, but PSG did have their moments and when taking everything into account, a point apiece was just about a fair result.
PSG's performance
As expected, head coach Laurent Blanc sent out an extremely attacking XI for this match, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic joined in the final third by Angel di Maria and Cavani. There was also a spot at right-back for Serge Aurier, and the 22-year-old proved PSG's brightest spark in the early stages as he rampaged down the wing. Aurier's link with Di Maria was a key feature of the home side's performance in the first period, but after starting the half on top, Real Madrid ended the better.
The wonderful atmosphere inside the stadium should have lifted PSG after the restart, but it was more of the same. Plenty of tidy football in the final third, but the French champions, who entered this match off the back of winning their last five games, flattered to deceive where it mattered most. Cavani had bits and pieces, but it was a very quiet evening for Ibrahimovic, who did not burst into life until the very final moments. When looking at the Real Madrid side that took to the field, Blanc may feel that this was an opportunity missed to take control of the group and send out a message in the process.
There were plenty of positives, however, with Aurier having a strong game at right-back and Marquinhos and Thiago Silva both impressing at the heart of the defence. Statistics, especially in football, rarely paint a false picture, however, and the fact that PSG only had two attempts on target throughout the 90 minutes is an indication of their struggles in the final third. It is far from a poor result for the Ligue 1 leaders, but they will have left their supporters feeling frustrated after what was a mediocre performance.
Real Madrid's performance
It was never going to be an easy game for Real Madrid, who were without Dani Carvajal, James Rodriguez, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema for the clash in Paris. Sergio Ramos and Luka Modric did make the trip, but while the former started, the latter was only deemed fit enough for a spot on the bench. When considering their absences, head coach Rafael Benitez will have been delighted with what he saw from his team. It was not pretty for long spells, but tonight brought an excellent point.
It took a while for Real Madrid to get into the match, but the likes of Raphael Varane and Ramos were not overly worked at the back, while Marcelo spent most of the first period driving forward. Jese Rodriguez had an outstanding chance to make the breakthrough in the 25th minute, but the Spaniard could not beat Kevin Trapp from close range. A goal-mouth scramble 10 minutes before the interval also brought a couple of opportunities for the visitors, but Maxwell managed to scramble clear. There is no question that Los Blancos were the better side in the first 45 minutes of action.
Neither side really did enough in the second, however, with both ultimately looking comfortable with a point. Ronaldo had a couple of half-chances, while Denis Cheryshev and Lucas Vasquez also tried their luck to no avail late on. If any team were going to win it then it looked like it would be Real Madrid, but a point against a very good PSG side will go down as an excellent result. Los Blancos might be more defensive this season under Benitez, but it is certainly producing results.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Marcelo: The match was a bit of a let-down in terms of the star names, but Marcelo can he delighted with his performance in Paris. The left-back did not give Di Maria a sniff during the Argentine's time on the field, while he was also a threat going forward when he had the opportunity to break. This season, the Real Madrid defender has performed to a very high level.
Biggest gaffe
There was not really one obvious moment in terms of a gaffe, but Di Maria's use of the ball in Paris was very poor. Conceding possession has been one of the attacker's biggest faults in the last couple of seasons and that was on full show in this game. These are the type of games that the 27-year-old was bought for, but he failed to produce. Lucas Moura was sent on as Di Maria's replacement in the 67th minute.
Referee performance
Experienced referee Nicola Rizzoli had a fairly comfortable evening. The 44-year-old Italian issued six yellow cards and while some of the decisions were a little harsh, the official always seemed in control of events on the field. Neither manager will have any complaints about his performance in this European fixture.
What next?
PSG: The French champions will attempt to stretch their lead at the top of the Ligue 1 table when they welcome fourth-placed Saint-Etienne on Sunday.
Real Madrid: Los Blancos, who currently top La Liga, have a tough task on Saturday as they travel to in-form Celta Vigo in Spain's top flight.
Matt Law
