It will be a huge match in Group A of the Champions League as Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paris Saint-Germain face off against Cristiano Ronaldo and an injury stricken Real Madrid squad.
Form
It has been a great run of form for the reigning French champions PSG. After drawing to Stade Reims 1-1 on September 19th, the Parisians have pulled off five straight wins including a 2-1 victory over Marseille in the Le Classique.
The four Ligue 1 victory's in a row have put PSG on top of the French table with 26 points, five points ahead of second place Angers. PSG are also rolling in Europe as well, having won their first two group games, putting them on top of the Group A with Real Madrid. With this fixture and a Ligue 1 clash against 4th place ASSE, and the reverse fixture against Madrid coming up, this is an important run of games for the French.
It has been a rocky time for Real Madrid yet they still find themselves at the top of the La Liga table, tied on points with Celta Vigo and rivals Barcelona. Madrid most recently beat Levante 3-0 after two back to back draws with Atletico Madrid and Malaga. But all is well at the Bernabéu because Real is at the top of La Liga and are at the top of their Champions League group as well after two straight wins to begin group play.
Key players
The key player for PSG will be their new signing Angel Di Maria. He has fit in well with PSG after moving from Manchester United this summer. He has five goals and five assists so far, and will be a real threat against Real Madrid, his former club. Di Maria said he will not celebrate against Madrid should he score, but don't be surprised if he does due to the emotion of the moment.
The key player for Real Madrid is Luka Modric. He was named in the squad by Rafa Benitez and will likely start in the midfield for Real. When he was out with injury last year and they struggled the second half of the season. Madrid are also short in the midfield due to injuries, and Modric will be have to be the main facilatator for Los Blancos.
Team news
Real Madrid will be very shorthanded going into this clash. Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema, James Rodriguez, Pepe, and Daniel Carvajal are all out for the game against PSG. David Luiz will be the only PSG player out with an injury.
What they're saying
"Madrid are a different club to PSG," said PSG captain Thiago Silva to AS (via ESPN).
The Brazilian later told that he talked to both Real Madrid and Barcelona while he was at AC Milan before moving to PSG.
"If I score against Madrid I will not celebrate because at the bottom of my heart I have not forgotten what I experienced there with the Decima," is what Angel Di Maria told French TV (via Independent UK)
It would have been surprising to see Di Maria celebrate against the club that helped him grow as one of the top players in Europe, however it won't be surprising to see him score.