Champions League returns: PSG-Real Madrid highlights last 16

• Published date: 14 February 2022
• Publication title: The China Post

It's the start of the knockout stage, with the headline match being the meeting between European football's aristocrat - the 13-time winner Real Madrid - and an upstart in Paris Saint-Germain, which is looking to be continental champion for the first time.

A look at that match and the three other first-leg games in the last 16 this week:

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TUESDAY:

PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN VS. REAL MADRID

Paris Saint-Germain's dream of winning a first Champions League title faces a potentially rude awakening against 13-time champion Real Madrid. PSG has struggled all season against teams that play quickly on the counterattack and Madrid is arguably the best around at swift transition play. However, those attacks rely heavily on star forward Karim Benzema's movement, touch and awareness. He is in the Madrid squad but doubtful to play as he works his way back from a hamstring injury that has kept him out since last month. Madrid hasn't reached the final since completing a straight hat trick of European Cups in 2018. Now Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti travels to face the side he once coached with only one win in four matches in all competitions. Without Benzema it will be more difficult, and a backup option is resorting to perennially out-of-favor Gareth Bale. Once the world's most expensive player, the forward only made his first appearance since August when starting in the 0-0 draw at Villarreal on Saturday. But PSG is probably even more reliant on Kylian Mbappe than Madrid is on Benzema, and Mbappe's injury-time winner on Friday against Rennes glossed over another laborious performance. Even without Benzema, Madrid has the edge in midfield with Luka Modric and Casemiro.

SPORTING VS. MANCHESTER CITY

A welcome draw - on paper, at least - and a fully fit and in-form squad, Manchester City is in great shape at the start of the knockout stage as the English club goes in search of that elusive Champions League title. City's only loss in all competitions since Oct. 30 - a run of 20 games - was 2-1 at Leipzig in the final match in the Champions League group stage, which meant little since Pep Guardiola's team was already assured of advancing. Indeed, more significant than the loss was the red card shown to Kyle Walker that will deprive Guardiola of his first-choice right back for both legs against Sporting and the first leg of the quarterfinals should City progress. Joao Cancelo, rested like Kevin De Bruyne and Aymeric Laporte in the Premier League at the weekend, will fill in at right back...