Real Madrid and PSG under pressure ++ Xhaka welcomes Sommer

Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain find themselves in an uncomfortable position ahead of the 6th round of the Champions League. The defending champions have a difficult task ahead of them in Bergamo on Tuesday.

The first few months of this season have been disappointing for Real Madrid. In the championship, the often publicly criticized performances have so far had no major impact. In terms of points lost, the Spanish champions are even ahead of leaders FC Barcelona. In the Champions League, however, Carlo Ancelotti’s star ensemble is also lagging miles behind expectations in terms of results.

Only two points separate Real Madrid from a place outside the top 24 that qualify for the knockout round. The slump in form has to do with bad luck with injuries. At the weekend, Vinicius Junior, Dani Carvajal, Eder Militão, Rodrygo, David Alaba and Eduardo Camavinga were all missing from the squad. Kylian Mbappé is often cited as the main reason for the sluggish first part of the season. Even after 21 games for the Madrid club, the French striker still often looks like a foreign body, and his eleven goals are a disappointing return for a goalscorer of his class.

Atalanta’s highs

For Mbappé, a lot has probably come together in recent months to keep his focus entirely on scoring goals. In Sweden, he is reportedly under investigation for allegations of rape, he is in dispute with his former club Paris Saint-Germain over a multi-million euro sum and in France, two skipped national team meetings have left a bitter aftertaste. The fact that he recently failed twice from the penalty spot fits the picture.

A Mbappé who once again looks more like the player who twice led France to the World Cup final would suit Real Madrid. On Tuesday, the record Champions League winners face one of their most difficult tasks at the moment: a visit to Atalanta Bergamo. The Serie A leaders, who dispatched YB 6:1 in the previous round, will be aiming for their tenth win in a row.

Xhaka welcomes Sommer

Just behind Real Madrid is Paris Saint-Germain. The French champions have picked up just one point since their opening win against Girona and have also weakened recently in the domestic championship with two draws in a row. Three points are a must for the team in Salzburg, otherwise Luis Enrique’s coaching chair will soon be shaken.

The situation is almost hopeless for RB Leipzig. Marco Rose’s team are still without points ahead of their home game against Aston Villa. Things look better for the two Bundesliga rivals in action on Tuesday: Bayern Munich can aim for the top 8 against Shakhtar Donetsk in Gelsenkirchen, where Leverkusen currently find themselves with Granit Xhaka. Xhaka will be reunited with his former national team colleague Yann Sommer on Tuesday evening when Inter Milan visit Leverkusen.

Edimilson Fernandes with Brest (against Eindhoven) and Ardon Jashari with FC Brugge (against Sporting Lisbon) are the other Swiss players in action with their clubs on Tuesday.

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