Several subplots will be at play when Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain take on each other in the Champions League round of 16. One of those involves French superstar Kylian Mbappe who reportedly has his heart set on moving to Real, but Los Blancos manager Carlo Ancelotti is sure that the stiker’s loyalties won’t be tested.
Real had offered around 160 million euros to bring Mbappe to the Santiago Bernabeu last season. The player was also desperate to complete the move, but his club refused to budge in the negotiations even though the star forward had less than a year remaining on his contract. With time running out on his future at PSG, a move to Real Madrid this summer has been taken for granted.
However, before that, he will be facing Los Blancos in the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League. Mauricio Pochettino’s men have been drawn against Real and Mbappe’s possible loyalties being tested is one of the various subplots of this particular fixture. Former Barcelona attacker Lionel Messi and former Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos are also expected to be the protagonists at some stage.
“Every player in the game will be 100% focused on knocking out a team who can compete with them to win the Champions League,” Real coach Ancelotti told a news conference on Monday before the fixture at the Parc des Princes.
“Mbappe will be thinking the same as Karim Benzema or Vinicius. Everyone has the same aim.”
Ancelotti said, as per France 24.
Karim Benzema’s participation in the match is also in doubt as there are concerns surrounding his fitness. Ancelotti has said that he will wait until the last day to decide whether the 34-year-old will start given that the target man has already missed three weeks of action due to hamstring injury.
“I will have the final word after the doctor and the player. I’ll have to listen to what they say then decide,”
“He has already trained, even if only individually and he’ll see how he’s feeling. He hasn’t played for almost a month, but it’s Karim we’re talking about. If he’s ok, he has to play.”
said three-time Champions League winner Ancelotti, who coached PSG between 2011 and 2013.
