If Paris Saint-Germain are going to complete their quest for the Holy Grail of the Champions League, they are going to have to do it the hard way.
The Ligue 1 leaders were luckless in the draw as they were pitted against Real Madrid, spectacularly failing in Monday’s lottery, despite winning their group ahead of Bayern Munich.
But great challenges should also be considered great opportunities, and if PSG were to win the tie, their standing in the eyes of their opponents would receive an instant boost.
Following their incredible collapse against Barcelona at the same stage last season, they strengthened their side on an unprecedented scale during the summer. Neymar, the man who was behind Barca’s incredible comeback from 4-0 down in the first leg, was signed at a cost of €222 million, while Kylian Mbappe, the planet’s hottest young player, was added on loan with a promise to pay Monaco upwards of €160m in the future.
The Parisians also added Dani Alves in an attempt to bring a winning mentality that was previously lacking from the squad in order to win ties exactly like the one they are faced with in the spring.
It is upon Neymar, however, that the bulk of the pressure will fall when PSG go to the Bernabeu on February 14 for the first leg - surely one of the most hotly anticipated last-16 dates in Champions League history.
PSG spent an unprecedented fee on the 25-year-old Brazilian to help them succeed in Europe, while the striker moved to France in order to give himself a platform to win the Ballon d’Or. This is the stage upon which he must perform for those dual aims to be realised.
Over the course of those two fixtures, all being well, he will go toe to toe with Cristiano Ronaldo, the man who has won that individual accolade in each of the last two years. It is the perfect chance to prove he is worthy of such an honour and it represents something of an early shootout in the race for the 2018 award.
Speaking to France Football after winning this year’s gong, the Portuguese said: “There are so many competitions to play next year, including the World Cup with Portugal. That could be crucial in the running for the Ballon d’Or.”
So, while the loser of this tie will not have received a knockout blow with regards their hopes of the prize, it will be a significant setback.
Undoubtedly, it is a fixture with more pressure on Neymar. If PSG should lose, questions will naturally arise over his decision to move to the Parc des Princes, where so much store is set in their European performance.
Defeat would almost certainly see the end of head coach Unai Emery, meanwhile.
“I don’t think it’s the worst draw,” the Spaniard said in the aftermath. “We are at the level to meet them head-on. The Champions League is about facing the best. They have talent, but so do we. My team is ready for this game.”
On the evidence of the early weeks of the season, PSG, who had looked imperious until the last fortnight, are well capable of troubling a Real Madrid side that has misfired this season.
But Los Blancos are not double European champions for nothing and were in a similarly hapless state when Zinedine Zidane took them over in late 2015 and led them on an improbable run to defeat Atletico Madrid in the final.
That was the season the sides last met. After a scoreless group-stage draw in Paris, PSG dominated the match at the Bernabeu but contrived to lose due to a cheap goal conceded to Nacho, while Edinson Cavani missed a plethora of opportunities to give them a win that their dominance deserved.
Technically, they may have been above the Spaniards in those two fixtures, but it was their mentality that let them down. It is the kind of European performance that has plagued PSG since their emergence as a genuine force.
Neymar is the man who is supposed to have helped them to elevate their level, and having cruised so far this season, the Madrid doubleheader will represent his chance to prove his worth - not only to his club, but as a bona fide contender to be named the best in the world.
