Champions League: Ronaldo-Neymar Showdown With Jobs at Stake

File pictures of Cristiano Ronaldo (left) and Neymar

(Photo: The Quint)

The Champions League resumes with a mouthwatering meeting of the aristocrats and the disruptors of European soccer.

The hosts are Real Madrid, the indisputable kings of the continent with 12 titles led by five-time world player of the year Cristiano Ronaldo.

The visitors are Paris Saint-Germain, the upstarts who bulldozed soccer’s transfer record to hitch Neymar to the Qatari-funded mission to join soccer’s elite.

The Santiago Bernabeu is the stage on Thursday for Neymar’s return to Spain six months after the heir to Ronaldo's throne was prized away from Barcelona for 222 million euros.

Neymar and Ronaldo are both quick, very strong one-on-one, they play quickly and put a lot of intensity into their games. Ney is smaller, and that’s perhaps his advantage. But they are both capable of turning games.

Angel Di Maria, Paris Saint-Germain

Only one of the superstars can advance from the round of 16 games in Madrid and Paris over the next month.

Neymar came to PSG from Barcelona for 22 million euros. (Photo: AP)

The 26-year-old Neymar is chasing the supreme status already attained by Ronaldo.

“He lives and breathes goals,” Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said of Ronaldo, underscoring the 33-year-old Portuguese's enduring influence on the team. Ronaldo has helped Madrid win three of the last four Champions League titles, with two goals in last season's final victory over Juventus.

It's not just a place in the quarterfinals at stake for PSG and Madrid. The losing coach is likely to find himself out of work by the end of the season.

Only two months ago, Zidane lifted the Club World Cup for a second successive year but his job prospects could be dependent on winning a third successive Champions League title.

So much has gone wrong domestically. Madrid languishes in fourth place and 17 points behind Barcelona in La Liga and is out of the Copa del Rey.

In Paris, Unai Emery is still haunted by last season's failures. He clung to power despite being deposed as French champions and an astonishing collapse at this stage to Barcelona.

“We're stronger than last season,” Di Maria said. Certainly in France where PSG has pulled 12 points clear of defending champion Monaco.

Mbappe scored on his debut for PSG.(Photo: AP)

But while PSG can bully most teams, it is vulnerable against those playing with aggression and closing down high up the pitch. That was evident in a loss to Lyon last month when PSG panicked in defence and conceded a stoppage-time goal.

PSG will be hoping the decision to invest so much of its resources in securing Neymar and Kylian Mbappe does not backfire against Madrid.

Di Maria has been in stronger form than Mbappe recently, scoring four times in the last month compared to the 19-year-old forward's solitary effort.

Might it have been wiser to spend on protecting the shaky defense? For the trip to Spain, 32-year-old Lassana Diarra could be deployed as the holding midfielder even though Emery accepts he can't last a full game.

Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema has been jeered by Madrid supporters in the previous games.(Photo: AP)

Madrid has concerns in defence after conceding eight goals in its last five games, and Dani Carvajal is suspended after a yellow-card ploy backfired. While Carvajal had experience taking on Neymar in games against Barcelona, Zidane could be left relying on 19-year-old Achraf Hakimi.

Madrid is protecting a formidable home record in Europe, having gone 17 matches unbeaten. But as Karim Benzema has been discovering, playing at home has its pitfalls.

“I don't know why there's a section of our supporters that jeer Benzema,” Zidane said. “His fortunes will change.”

Meanwhile, Liverpool will be up against Porto in an away fixture on Thursday.

FC Porto vs Liverpool

Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk (left) and Southampton’s Guido Carrillo battle for the ball during their at St Mary’s Stadium on Sunday.(Photo: AP)

Five-time European champion Liverpool scored 23 goals in the group stage, but has since lost playmaker Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona.

Shoring up the defense was a priority, though, in the January transfer window and center back Virgil van Dijk was finally signed from Southampton.

While Liverpool is 18 points behind City in the Premier League, Porto has a two-point lead at the top of the Portuguese standings and is unbeaten in 23 matches in all competitions.

Porto was the fifth equal highest scorer among the 32 group stage teams with 15 goals. But its leading attacking weapon, Vincent Aboubakar, is doubtful for Thursday’s match with a muscle injury.