On Wednesday, from 5 pm at the Santiago Bernabéu, one of the games of the year will be played: the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 between Paris Saint Germain and Real Madrid. After the agonizing 1-0 in favor of Pochettino’s team due to Mbappé’s great goal , Neymar and Lionel Messi , symbols of one of the best Barcelona in all history, return to Merengue’s house to look for the ticket to the quarterfinals .
“For Messi and for me it is a special game, for everything we play at Barsa,” Ney told the press conference he gave this Tuesday in Madrid. And he added: “It’s special for everyone to play against Real Madrid in the Champions League. I’m happy to play well, to make history.”
Although he is not at his best level since he recovered from an injury that took him off the pitch for several weeks (in November he injured his left ankle), the Brazilian is one of the great figures that the PSG dream team has , that was armed to win the Orejona but that does not finish engaging. In fact, on Saturday -with Ney and Leo in the starting lineup- they lost to Nice in France’s Ligue 1.
” A match between PSG and Madrid will always be 50-50, there will never be favourites. We have an advantage but the advantage we have can be brought to our heads and we have to play better than in Paris,” said the former Barcelona and Saints. And he explained, “We’re going to do the same thing we did at home, that’s what we have to do.”
Regarding his injury, he clarified: “It’s a shame to be out of big games, it’s always very sad but thank God I’m fine, I’m back with my team to play a very important game, and we’re ready to play this game.”
Then, he stressed again the plan that his team has to make to eliminate Real Madrid: “We know that we are going to face a very good team, we are not going to be left behind, we are going to defend, we are going to attack, we are going to do it do my best to win the match .”
“I have good memories of the Santiago Bernabéu, I scored goals, assists, we played beautiful games and it is a stadium with an incredible history, playing here is a pleasure,” he said.
“It is better that Casemiro does not play”
Real Madrid will lose weight against Paris Saint Germain: midfielder Casemiro, who will have to serve a one-match ban for accumulating yellow cards. In the first leg at the Parque de los Príncipes he was reprimanded for a kick against Leandro Paredes.
“It’s not going to be easy, Madrid have high-quality players, Casemiro is for me the best in his position , but we don’t care, we have to win the game in the same way… We have to play as best we can and for them it will be a little more difficult because they are used to playing with Casemiro. But for us it is better that he doesn’t play”, said Neymar.
