Real Madrid CF choked against Paris Saint-Germain as the two goliaths collided in Paris in their first UEFA Champions League encounter. The match ended 3-0 in favor of the home side.

Former Real Madrid player Angel Di Maria scored twice before half-time to take the match away from the Spanish side. Thomas Meunier scored the third at the 91st minute to ensure three points for the French champions. PSG didn't have Neymar Jr., Edinson Cavani and Kylian Mbappe in their line up. However, that didn't prove fatal for the hosts, as they completely humiliated a side that lacked the presence of captain Sergio Ramos.

Di Maria secured the lead for his club in the 14th minute as he beat Thibaut Courtois near Madrid's goal post. Real stayed optimistic until the Argentine struck again to light up the encounter at Parc des Princes on the 33<sup>rd minute. It was the former Real Madrid and Manchester United star's left-footer from 20 yards away away that left Courtois and the visitors helpless. From there, it as just a matter of time for the home side to emerge as the winners in their first UCL outing this season.

Angel Di Maria celebrates after scoring
Angel Di Maria celebrates with Mauro Icardi after scoring one of his two goals as Paris Saint-Germain beat Real Madrid 3-0 in their Champions League opener

Speaking about Di Maria's impact in the game, PSG Coach Thomas Tuchel said, "We can't be too surprised because he has been showing for more than a year now that he is capable of performances like that. He was exceptional tonight. He is always dangerous."

As France24 reports, after this win, PSG maintains their unbeaten record at home in all UCL clashes since 2004. They are now leading the Group table with 3 points, and are likely to maintain the lead, given that the two other teams, Galatasaray S.K. and Club Brugge KV, drew last night. Real is now placed at the bottom of the group. They will play PSG again at the Santiago Bernabeu on the 26th of November in the second round of the group stage.

Amidst all the speculations throughout the summer of a possible Neymar transfer deal which went off, this match marked PSG's message about their team's strength even without the Brazilian. Throughout the match, it never seemed like the Ligue 1 defending champions are dependent on any single player. An all-round performance played an instrumental role in helping PSG secure the most sought after win in the UCL group stage.

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