A lone strike by first-half substitute Nacho was everything Real Madrid needed to secure the win against the toughest opponent they've faced so far in the UEFA Champions League.

The result also gave Los Merengues a berth on the Round of 16 following the draw between Shakhtar Donetsk and Malmö FF.

The Spaniards didn't have the likes of James Rodriguez, Gareth Bale or Karim Benzema on the attack and their forward line was certainly hampered by the absences whilst PSG arrived to this game almost in full strength. The hosts however, were the more accurate team on the final meters and they only needed one goal and a strong defensive performance to secure the three points against a PSG that, based on their first-half performance, could have deserved some better luck.

PSG starts better in the first half

The first half had lots of interruptions as both sides battled hard for the possession in midfield and that led to several fouls and a clear lack of scoring chances. Real Madrid looked slightly better as they appeared to be more comfortable going forward while PSG opted to play with a counter-attacking approach, but the strategy didn't pay off as expected.

PSG was forced to make an early substitution in the 17th minute when Marco Verratti had to leave the pitch with an injury. The Italy international collided with Cristiano Ronaldo and was never able to recover so the talented midfielder was replaced by Adrien Rabiot.

The entrance of Rabiot allowed Blaise Matuidi to take on a more offensive stance in the middle of the pitch and PSG started to pile up scoring chances. A shot from Matuidi and a free kick from Zlatan Ibrahimovic put PSG closer to break the deadlock but it would be Real Madrid who would net the opener.

Nacho breaks the deadlock for Los Merengues

After Marcelo was forced to leave the game with a muscular injury, Rafa Benitez decided to send Nacho as a replacement and the youngster made an immediate impact as he found the back of the net shortly after coming into the game when he tapped home a deflection following a long-range shot from Toni Kroos.

PSG came inches away from equalizing before the break

PSG woke up after the goal. Rabiot smashed the post with a shot from outside the box when Keylor Navas was already beaten and a few minutes later, a Maxwell cross from the left side was inches away from becoming a goal as Zlatan and Edinson Cavani both failed to tap the ball in.

The final minutes were pretty intense and there were clear scoring opportunities for both sides in stoppage time. Isco picked up a pass deep into the box but his effort was denied by Kevin Trapp and on the other end, a perfect through ball from Angel Di Maria sliced the opposing defence but Cavani failed to find the back of the net when he only had Navas in front of him. The first half ended with a one-goal lead for Real Madrid but it was clear that PSG had been the better team through the first 45 minutes.

Second half remains with a similar scheme

Things didn't change much in the second half as PSG continued to play with a very positive attitude. Di Maria tested Navas with a long range effort that was easily stopped by the Costa Rica international and on the other end, Ronaldo - who was largely absent in the first half - tried to net one from long range but his shot was high and wide.

Even though the French side was always looking to produce a spark on offense, Real Madrid was much more composed on the defensive end and they limited the spaces for the opposing strikers in the final third. The Spanish side opted to play with a more defensive stance and while they didn't take too many risks on the offensive end, they opted to protect the result with the entrance of Lucas Vasquez who replaced Jesé in the 63th minute.

PSG pushes forward and Real Madrid closes the game out

PSG took on a more attacking stance in the final minutes. Zlatan took on a wider role and Cavani moved to a central role in an effort to disrupt the opposing defensive line but it wasn't a very effective move. Serge Aurier and Di Maria continued to be the team's more dangerous attacking threats and Laurent Blanc opted to send Lucas Moura for the final minutes, but the Brazilian was unable to get things going as he often looked quick but clumsy on possession. The increased tempo and the attacking stance adopted by the visitors allowed Real Madrid to have a bit more space on the counter.

A cross from Danilo found Isco inside the box and the former Malaga playmaker blasted a shot to the near post but Trapp was magnificent to stop the shot. On the other end, Di Maria was close to stun Navas with a swinging corner but the keeper was very sharp to keep the clean sheet. The final 10 minutes showed a PSG team that managed to dominate the possession but Real Madrid continued to look like the bigger threat in the final minutes. Toni Kroos had the clearer chance to score but Trapp was stellar to, once again, deny the hosts of a second goal.

PSG's final chance came in the 89th minute with a free kick from Angel Di Maria but the crossbar saved Navas. The referee Mark Clattenburg blew his whistle after three minutes of stoppage time and the hosts were certainly pleased with the final result while the French side will certainly feel they deserved some better luck based on the number of chances they created.

Up next

PSG will play their next match away from home as they will travel to Sweden to take on Malmö FF, while Real Madrid will play against Shakhtar Donetsk in Ukraine. Both games will be played in November 25th.

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About the author
Juan Pablo Aravena
26-year-old Chilean sports journalist with three years of experience in different websites and platforms. Covering all four major sports for VAVEL USA, international soccer for VAVEL UK and Latin American Soccer for VAVEL LatAm.