Real Madrid vs. PSG – UEFA Champions League, Wednesday, March 9, 2022

A moment of individual brilliance from Kylian Mbappe saw Paris Saint-Germain edge out Real Madrid in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League round of 16 tie. On Wednesday, the two sides meet for the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Real Madrid will be confident of turning things around on home soil, having won a record 13 European Cup/Champions League titles over the years. However, the Parisians will be desperate to secure their first-ever UCL crown.

Who will come out on top? Keep reading to discover my Real Madrid vs. PSG prediction and betting pick.

All the top-rated soccer betting sites view Real Madrid (2.40) as the favorite to win the second leg. As you can see, though, the price for the away win isn’t much higher.

Although PSG (2.70) dominated the first leg, very few teams dominate Real Madrid at the Bernabeu. For that reason, the generous odds for the draw (3.60) are worth considering here.

Believe it or not, Real Madrid failed to register a single shot on target in the first leg. By contrast, PSG racked up a whopping 21 attempts – eight of which were on target.

That tells you everything you need to know about the first leg.

PSG dominated proceedings from start to finish, enjoying almost 60% possession in the process. It goes without saying that Carlo Ancelotti’s men will need to up their game if they are serious about reaching the quarter-finals.

Consequently, Real Madrid sits eight points clear of second-place Sevilla at the La Liga summit. The capital club is well on its way to securing its 35th top-flight title.

That said, the 13-time UCL winners must kick it up a notch if they want to add a 14th European crown to their collection. If they fail to score on Wednesday, they will be out of the competition.

To say that Pochettino’s men dominated the first leg would be a massive understatement. But have they got what it takes to complete the job at the Bernabeu?

Strangely enough, the Parisians have lost two of their three Ligue 1 games since beating Real Madrid. After losing to Nantes, they beat Saint-Etienne before falling to Nice last time out.

Although they hold a 13-point lead over second-place Nice in the Ligue 1 standings, they have produced a series of iffy displays of late. Of course, they will almost certainly regain the title. But they have been far from convincing in recent weeks.

And then there’s Lionel Messi. The former Barcelona superstar has chalked up seven goals and 11 assists since arriving in Paris. Needless to say, he will be eager to get the better of Barca’s nemesis.

In truth, PSG’s roster is stacked with multiple world-class stars in every department. With the likes of Neymar, Marquinhos, and Marco Verratti supporting Mbappe and Messi, PSG has the potential to blow any opponent away.

Granted, Real Madrid barely laid a glove on PSG three weeks ago. But I’m confident that Los Blancos will up their game in the second leg. I mean, they can’t really perform any worse.

Although the Parisians dominated the first leg, they have lost two of their past three matches. They have more than enough firepower to seal the deal on Wednesday, but their big-name individuals often fail to gel as a team.

Ultimately, I can see Real Madrid winning the second leg. Ancelotti’s men have yet to suffer a La Liga defeat at the Bernabeu this season and last lost on home soil all the way back in September.

I’m backing Real Madrid to win on Wednesday. With the unstoppable duo of Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior in red-hot form, the Spanish powerhouse looks set to topple the French giant.

There are three more Champions League clashes taking place this week. If you enjoyed my Real Madrid vs. PSG betting preview, be sure to check out the rest of our UCL predictions and picks.