Yang Yang stood to the right of the center circle and glanced at Paris Saint-Germain players Cavani and Neymar inside it. His gaze then passed through Paris Saint-Germain's midfield and defense before landing on Areola, the goalkeeper guarding the distant goal.
The entire Parc des Princes was in an uproar, the roar of the crowd reaching the heavens.
Paris Saint-Germain's fans had high hopes for the home team. They hoped the side could crush Real Madrid at this stadium just as they had beaten Barcelona 4–0 last season, especially since they were stronger and better this season.
The arrivals of Neymar and Di Maria had given Paris Saint-Germain tremendous courage.
And everyone could see that Real Madrid had clearly begun to decline.
When an aging ruler revealed signs of weakness, the contenders surrounding the throne naturally began to stir.
Paris Saint-Germain's starting lineup came as no surprise. Areola was in goal, with Yuri, Kimpembe, Marquinhos, and Alves in defense. The midfield consisted of Rabiot, Lo Celso, and Verratti, while the Trident up front was Neymar, Cavani, and Di Maria.
Emery had once again adopted a 4-3-3 formation, revealing a powerful desire to defeat Real Madrid at home.
Real Madrid responded with a 4-3-1-2. Navas was in goal, with Marcelo, Varane, Ramos, and Azpilicueta in defense. Toni Kroos, Kanté, and Modrić formed the midfield, Hazard played behind the strikers, and Yang Yang partnered Suarez up front.
The interesting thing was that Mbappé, considered more familiar with Ligue 1 before the match, had not started as outsiders had predicted. Instead, he sat on the bench, as did Isco, who had been in excellent form this season. Hazard had taken their place.
In midfield, Kanté had replaced Casemiro in the starting lineup, while Azpilicueta had taken the suspended Carvajal's place in defense.
Real