Shrugging off the despair of a poor La Liga season, Real Madrid have been given a shot at redemption as they continued their late resurgence by storming into the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday night.
In their return leg game of the Round of 16, the Spanish giants edged past a Neymar-less Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) 2-1 at Parc des Princes in Paris.
Ronaldo’s goal against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday in Paris. /VCG Photo
Ronaldo’s goal against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday in Paris. /VCG Photo
Enjoying a 3-1 advantage from the first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu, Zinedine Zidane’s side began their chase for a third successive Champions League title with their talismanic Portuguese icon Cristiano Ronaldo drawing first blood with a header in the 51st minute.
Statistically, the goal also helped Ronaldo - who scored twice in the first leg at home - emulate former Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy’s record of scoring in 9 consecutive Champions League games in the 2002-2003 season.
Real Madrid goal-scorers against PSG in Paris - Casemiro & Ronaldo. /VCG photo
Real Madrid goal-scorers against PSG in Paris - Casemiro & Ronaldo. /VCG photo
However, the current Ligue 1 leaders, despite being down to 10-men after midfielder Marco Verratti was sent off for two bookable offences, saw a glimmer of hope when Edinson Cavani struck with a close-range finish in the 71st minute.