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Wednesday, 4 November 2015

Nacho Books Real Place



Real Madrid booked a place in the last 16 of the Champions League after the first-half substitute Nacho Fernández scored to clinch a 1-0 home win over Paris Saint-Germain.

The 25-year-old defender had been on the pitch for fewer than three minutes when he slotted in from a tight angle against the run of play, after Toni Kroos’s shot was blocked in the 35th minute.

PSG will rue their poor finishing, having missed a series of chances, especially in the first half, and went closest to scoring when Adrien Rabiot’s volley hit a post after 37 minutes.

Real have 10 points from four games in Group A while PSG, who suffered their first defeat this season, are in second place with seven.

There was a disruptive start to the game with players receiving treatment for knocks and PSG lost Marco Verratti after 17 minutes with what appeared to be a twisted ankle and he was replaced by the 20-year-old Rabiot.

It was the visitors who found their feet first with a shot from Blaise Matuidi straight at the goalkeeper Keylor Navas and then Zlatan Ibrahimovic, inside the area, stroked the ball a whisker the wrong side of the right post.

The Real full-back Marcelo then limped off after 33 minutes to add to the home side’s injury problems this season, with Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema among those unfit to face the French champions.

Nacho made an instant impact by knocking the ball home after a Kroos shot deflected to him off Thiago Silva.

Real responded when Rabiot hit a post with a long-range volley and Edinson Cavani miscued with only Navas to beat in first half stoppage time.

After the restart Ángel Di María was also denied by Navas in front of goal but as the game went on Real were able to take the steam out of the contest and held on for the win.



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