| Cristiano Ronaldo (left) and Marcelo were both on target in the blockbuster clash in Madrid, with Real grabbing the advantage ahead of the second leg |
European champions Real Madrid roared back to life from a dismal domestic campaign, coming from behind to beat runaway Ligue 1 leaders Paris St Germain 3-1 in a Champions League last-16 first leg on Wednesday.
Adrien Rabiot smashed PSG into the lead in the 33rd minute but Cristiano Ronaldo levelled from the penalty spot on the stroke of halftime, scoring his 100th Champions League goal for Real to set up a pulsating second half.
Ronaldo put Real in front in the 83rd minute with a scrappy strike from close range and Brazilian left back Marcelo further stretched the lead in the 86th, giving PSG a tough task in the second leg at the Parc des Princes on March 6.
The tie pitted 12-times European champions Real against the Qatar-backed Parisians who have never gone beyond the quarter-finals in the competition but boasted an attacking trio that cost over 460 million euros($572 million) to assemble in transfer fees alone. The two squads’ combined cost exceeded 1.2 billion euros.