Real Madrid suffer two major blows ahead of PSG second leg

Real Madrid have suffered a double blow ahead of the Champions League round of 16 second leg with Paris Saint-Germain.

Los Blancos were on the back foot almost all night in Paris as PSG launched a relentless assault on the Los Blancos goal.

Thibaut Courtois’ penalty save against Lionel Messi seemed to point towards Real Madrid leaving Paris without a deficit.

But they lost the game with less than a minute remaining in stoppage time after a superb Kylian Mbappe solo goal.

And already with an uphill battle, Real Madrid will now have two pivotal players out for the return leg in Madrid on March 9.

That’s because both midfielder Casemiro and starting left-back Ferland Mendy received yellow cards.

That takes them to the yellow card limit for the competition, and they will serve a one-match suspension in the return leg.

Both absences will be sorely felt by Carlo Ancelotti and his men, and it will be no easy task to replace them.

Eduardo Camavinga is likely to start in the midfield pivot, while Nacho Fernandez could come into defence, with David Alaba potentially playing out on the left.

Far from ideal ahead of a decisive clash with what is clearly a dangerous PSG outfit, and one with a lead already established.