Nothing is impossible, says Neymar after Madrid loss

Neymar insisted that Paris Saint-Germain can still qualify for the Champions League quarter-finals despite losing 3-1 to Real Madrid in the first leg of their last-16 tie on Wednesday.

He was in the Barcelona side that lost 4-0 away to PSG in the first leg of the last 16 last season, before a stunning 6-1 victory in the return.

On PSG’s chances of beating Real in the return leg on March 6, he said: “I think it is difficult, but nothing is impossible. Last year I was in a much worse situation and we managed to get through. I hope we will be able to play better.”

Adrien Rabiot smashed runaway Ligue 1 leaders PSG ahead in the 33rd minute but Ronaldo levelled from the penalty spot on the stroke of halftime, scoring his 100th Champions League goal for Real to set up a pulsating second half.

Ronaldo put Real in front in the 83rd minute with a scrappy strike from close range, following a cross by Marco Asensio, who made an impressive cameo appearance off the bench.

Brazilian left back Marcelo further stretched the lead in the 86th, giving PSG a tough task in the second leg at the Parc des Princes on March 6.

The tie pitted 12-times European champions Real against the Qatar-backed Parisians who have never gone beyond the quarter-finals in the competition but boasted an attacking trio that cost over KSh 58 billion to assemble in transfer fees alone. The two squads’ combined cost exceeded KSh 152 billion.