Three talking points ahead of Real Madrid vs PSG | FIFA Club World Cup | OneFootball

The world will have its eyes on the MetLife Stadium on Wednesday night as two of the biggest teams in Europe battle it out for the second place in the FIFA Club World Cup final.

The two sides being the 15-time UCL winners and the reigning champions only makes it all the more fascinating. Real Madrid and PSG both entered the competition with stark differences.

While the French side entered comfortably under Luis Enrique with a clear identity and idea of how to play, Los Blancos came in with a new manager at the helm looking to impose a new system and create an identity.

In just five games, the Merengues have shown great signs of improvement. They may not be at their very best yet, but they are significantly improved compared to how they were under Carlo Ancelotti.

Madrid Universal brings you three talking points ahead of Real Madrid vs PSG.

A night of turmoil for the defence

Europe is no stranger to the potency that PSG boast in their attacking department and the last UEFA Champions League was largely decided by that very aspect of their game.

Les Parisiens put a whopping five goals past Inter Milan in the final of the premier competition and are rightfully the current holders of the European crown. What this means for Real Madrid, however, is that their defence will be put to the ultimate test later tonight.

Dean Huijsen has been the team’s most important player at the back in the FIFA Club World Cup, and despite being a new signing, has looked comfortable and owned the starting place in Alonso’s lineup.

His red card against Borussia Dortmund, needless to say, comes as a huge blow to the manager’s plans for it could not come at a worse juncture.

The Spaniard will miss the game against PSG and Alonso will thus turn to the duo of Antonio Rudiger and Raul Asencio for the upcoming clash. Given their current form, however, that duo is anything but assuring.

The German only recently returned from injury and is still far from his best as was evident in the game against Dortmund. Asencio, meanwhile, has had a horror event so far with one penalty conceded and one red card in two starts.

The result of the blockbuster clash, thus, could well boil down to the centre-backs’ performance and ability to hold off a red-hot attack.

The million-dollar question

Will Mbappe start vs PSG? (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Real Madrid talking on PSG shifts the limelight directly onto Kylian Mbappe who left the club last summer to win the UCL but then went on to watch his former club lift the same trophy.

Later tonight, he will take on PSG for the first time after his transfer but the million-dollar question for Alonso is whether he should start the Frenchman or not.

It is bizarre that Real Madrid have come to a juncture where fielding Mbappe as a starter is a debate in itself, for the Frenchman did nothing wrong apart from falling ill and missing the opening phase of the tournament.

The credit for the debate must be given, in fact, to Gonzalo Garcia who has risen out of nothing. The academy star has been one of the team’s best players in the Club World Cup and once again scores the opener against Borussia Dortmund.

After successfully benching Mbappe for the last two knockout games, he will look for another start against PSG. However, the decision of whether to choose the man in the better form or the man with a bigger presence on the night rests solely in Alonso’s hands.

The title on the line

Tonight’s clash at MetLife Stadium is indeed only the semifinal of the competition and a tad bit early to declare a winner. However, one cannot be faulted for viewing Real Madrid-PSG to be a virtual final whose victor will come away with the title.

The second semifinal ended with a win for Chelsea over Fluminense and the Blues have had a very easy path to the final, contrasting with PSG and Los Blancos who have had to beat some of Europe’s elite.

With the Parisians’ recent golden run, form under Enrique and all-round play, they will be seen as the clear favourites to win it all against Chelsea in the final. Should Real Madrid beat them, that confidence in itself will make them clear favourites to beat Enzo Maresca’s men.

The clash tonight, thus, is more vital for the men in white than the potential final and a win over the reigning UCL champions will take them as close to the title as it gets.