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Real Madrid clear favorites in PSG clash, but it ain't over yet!

French League 1 leaders Paris Saint Germain take on Champions League winners Real Madrid at Bernabeau stadium Wednesday, in the sixteenth round of the Champions League. The most anticipated clash of the tournament so far offers a test of the French club’s ambitions.

Soccer Football - Champions League - Paris St Germain Press Conference - Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain - February 13, 2018 Paris Saint-Germain coach Unai Emery during the press conference
Soccer Football - Champions League - Paris St Germain Press Conference - Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain - February 13, 2018 Paris Saint-Germain coach Unai Emery during the press conference REUTERS/Juan Medina
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Normally, the odds would be stacked against PSG, but they're determined to show they've progressed from exiting the competition at this stage 12 months ago to Barcelona.

Coach Unai Emery has challenged his players to "show what they can do".

"We're very demanding with ourselves when it comes to keeping on growing" he said ahead of the match.

"We are playing a Champions League tie against the current Champions League champions. They've won this twelve times, they're to be admired by all of us due to their performances in history. And that's the level we want to achieve."

The French side aren't doing badly at all. They've lost just two games this season, thanks notably to their purchase last Summer of the world's most expensive player.

Neymar is on red-hot form and pundits already anticipate a showdown between him and Real's Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Portuguese star will be keen to show that he's the better player, despite Real's dwindling form.

They're languishing fourth in La Liga, and are 19 points adrift of Barcelona, and the Champions League is all they have left to play for.

The Los Blancos will be going into Wednesday night's match hungry and determined to chase their fourth trophy in the competition in the space of five seasons.

However, if Paris Saint Germain pull off a victory in tonight's clash, their stunning rise will be confirmation that the tide in European football is turning, as the modern super-rich clubs defy the old patriarchy.

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